Michael Hillegas

Michael Hillegas
Hillegas circa 1760
1st Treasurer of the United States
In office August 6, 1776 – September 11, 1789
Preceded by	First
Succeeded by	Samuel Meredith
Personal details
Born	April 22, 1729 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	September 29, 1804(1804-09-29) (aged 75) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1907 $10 gold certificate featuring Hillegas's portrait.

Michael Hillegas (April 22, 1729 – September 29, 1804) was the first Treasurer of the United States.^[1]

Biography

Hillegas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[2] He was the son of Margaret Schiebenstock (1710-July 21, 1770) and George Michael Hillegass (February 14, 1696 - October 30, 1749), an immigrant from Germany^[3] and a well-to-do merchant involved in iron and sugar. Son Michael thus had the freedom and resources to participate in local politics. He married Henrietta Boude on May 10, 1753, at Christ Church in Philadelphia, and they went on to have many children. Hillegas was a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from 1765 to 1775 and served as treasurer of the Committee of Safety under Benjamin Franklin in 1774.

On July 29, 1775, Hillegas and fellow patriot George Clymer were appointed by the Continental Congress to share the office of Treasurer of the United Colonies.^[4] Because Clymer was holding this office when the Declaration of Independence was signed, Clymer's signature appears on the document.

After Clymer's resignation on August 6, 1776, Hillegas assumed sole ownership of the office, which he held throughout the remainder of the American Revolution, using much of his own fortune to support the cause. His son, Samuel Hillegas, was also given the authority to sign new currency, known as "Continentals." Hillegas also served briefly as quartermaster to the army and served on occasional commissions. On September 9, 1776, the Continental Congress officially changed the name of the country to the United States of America, but Hillegas's title did not officially change until March 1778. On September 11, 1789, Congress created the Treasury Department, and Alexander Hamilton took the oath of office as the first Secretary of the Treasury. On that same date, Hillegas tendered his resignation, and Samuel Meredith was appointed Treasurer.

Hillegas was also an early member of the American Philosophical Society, along with Franklin. He died in Philadelphia and is buried near Franklin in Christ Church Burial Ground. Late in the 19th century, agitation by his descendants^[5] resulted in his portrait appearing on the ten-dollar gold certificate from 1907 to 1922.

See also

Biography portal

• United States Department of the Treasury
• River Bend Farm

References

1. ^ Treasurers of the United States.
2. ^ Pennsylvania German Culture and History
3. ^  "Hillegas, Michael". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1892. 
4. ^ US Treasury website, History of the Treasurer's Office
5. ^ Rev. Michael Reed Minnich, A Memoir of the First Treasurer of the United States, 1905.

External links

• The Michael Hillegas Papers, including personal and professional correspondence, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
• 1907-1922 Michael Hillegas gold certificate
• Michael Hillegas at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Hillegas, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 22, 1729
Place of birth	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of death	September 29, 1804
Place of death	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania