Abraham Baldwin is one of the American heroes who contributed in the framing of the constitution of the United States of America. Abraham Baldwin was half bother of the then famous Henry Baldwin from Pennsylvania. He was a devoted public education missionary who championed for the wellbeing of institutions in Georgia by emphasizing the significance of informed citizenry and democratic institutions. According to Patrick (2010), Abraham Baldwin was born on November 22, 1754 in North Guilford. In 1769, he moved with his father to Conn in New Haven where he attended schools. He attended private schools and graduated in 1772 from Yale College currently known as Yale University where he studied theology and started preaching after obtaining a license in 1775. He served as a tutor at the college until 1779 before resigning and assuming a new role in the army as a chaplain. Abraham served as a chaplain for seven years from 1777-1783 at the Revolutionary Army until the troop was disbanded.
While at the army, Abraham Baldwin was able to study law and decided to start practicing law at Fairfield afterwards. Baldwin then moved to Augusta the following year where he continued to practice law (Patrick, 2010). Abraham Baldwin was not only the inventor of the plan for the charter that led to the existence of the University of Georgia but he was also the author of the same. He served as the president of University of Georgia from 1786 to 1801. Abraham Baldwin became Continental Congress member from 1785 to 1788. He joined the United States Constitutional Congress in 1787. Abraham Baldwin was the first to be elected to the congress when he was elected on March 4, 1789. He was reelected four consecutive times to the congress form March 4, 1789 to March 4, 1799.
During Abraham’s session in office, he formulated comprehensive plan for secondary as well as higher education, which was implemented gradually over succeeding decades. Abraham Baldwin became the president of the senate in the seventh congress. Abraham Baldwin became one of the gifted leaders in the Georgia legislature, where he sponsored his educational initiatives. As a legislator, Abraham Baldwin served in several committees as the chairperson and he drafted many of the first laws of the states. Abraham Baldwin according to Wright and MacGregor (1987) has a dual facility, which enabled him to relate quite easily with both the wealthy and poor of his time, a quality that boosted his leadership role in the legislature. Such ability enabled Abraham to build up necessary compromises critical for the implementation of the legal as well as the administrative programs. Abraham was accorded bigger tasks because of the outstanding work he did in the legislative arena. Abraham then served constitutional convention, where he earned respect of his contemporaries for being an assiduous delegate and successful compromiser. Baldwin played an active role in the vital deliberations concerning constitutional making such as representation. Wright et al. (1987) state that Abraham Baldwin considered the work he did in the framing of the constitution as the most important service he offered to the public. Before his death, Abraham Baldwin was a senator, representative and delegate from Georgia. Abraham Baldwin died in Washington, D.C. on March 4, 1807 and buried in the Rock Creek Cemetery.
References
Patrick, F. (2010). Baldwin Abraham. Web.
Wright, R. & MacGregor, M. (1987). Abraham, Baldwin. Web.