William Paca

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William Paca portrait by Charles Willson Peale.

William Paca (October 30, 1740–October 23, 1799), was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland.

He was born in Abingdon, Maryland from a family of ancient Italian ancestry^[1], and home-schooled. He attended The College of Philadelphia (Now merged into and known as the University of Pennsylvania), graduating at age eighteen with a Masters degree. He studied law in Annapolis at a law office and obtained further training at the Inner Temple in London. He returned to begin the practice of law at Annapolis, Maryland in 1764.

Paca organized politically against a poll-tax imposed by the royal governor prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution and became a prominent leader in the patriot movement. He was elected to the Maryland legislature in 1771 and appointed to the Continental Congress in 1774. He was reelected, serving until 1779, when he became chief justice of the state of Maryland. In 1782 he was elected governor of Maryland. In 1789 he became federal district judge for the state of Maryland, and served as such until his death.

Paca died in 1799 at his estate of Wye Hall in Queen Anne's County, Maryland and was buried in the family cemetery there.

In John Trumbull's iconic painting, The Declaration of Independence, Paca is depicted as the figure standing farthest to the left.^[2]

Two elementary schools are named for him in Maryland; one is in Landover and the other in his home town of Abingdon, Maryland. William Paca Middle School in Mastic Beach, New York and P.S. 155 William Paca School in New York City are also named after him. Paca Street in Baltimore, Maryland is named after him.