1778 dated Oliver Ellsworth signed Revolutionary War Pay Order - Connecticut - American Revolutionary War Autograph

Oliver Ellsworth (April 29, 1745 – November 26, 1807) was a distinguished Founding Father of the United States, known for his multifaceted roles as an attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was instrumental in the creation of the United States Constitution, served as a senator from Connecticut, and was appointed as the third chief justice of the United States. In the presidential election of 1796, he received 11 electoral votes. Ellsworth's efforts were crucial in facilitating Connecticut's ratification of the Constitution, and he was elected as one of the state's first two senators, serving from 1789 to 1796. He was the primary author of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which laid the groundwork for the federal judiciary and confirmed the Supreme Court's power to overturn state supreme court decisions that were inconsistent with the United States Constitution. As a close ally of Alexander Hamilton in the Senate, Ellsworth was a member of the Federalist Party and played a significant role in advancing Hamilton's policies, including the Funding Act of 1790 and the Bank Bill of 1791. He also endorsed the United States Bill of Rights and the Jay Treaty.