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Thomas McKean Medallion
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© Stanley L. Klos has a worldwide copyright on the artwork in these Medallions not legal tender.

 Medallion Obverse: Engraving of Thomas McKean of Delaware was elected President of the United States, in Congress Assembled July 10, 1781 serving until November 4, 1781. This signer of the Articles of Association, the  Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of 1777 and the Constitution of 1787 was born in New London, Chester County, Pennsylvania on March 19, 1734 and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1817.  During his term of the U.S. Presidency the Battle of Yorktown was won.  As the troops paraded passed Congress and the President in Philadelphia the soldiers saluted the Flag as it passed. President McKean chose not to salute instead placing his open hand on his chest as each of the many flags passed his venue.  This gesture is still used today by U.S. civilians when pledging allegiance to the flag. This signor of both Federal Constitutions and the Declaration of Independence referred to the importance of his Presidency when turning down his party’s request to run as Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President under the new 12th Amendment to the second U.S. Constitution.  Governor McKean wrote on October 16, 1803 to Pennsylvania Republican Party Founder Alexander J. Dallas: ... President of the United States in Congress Assembled in the year of 1781 (a proud year for Americans) equaled any merit or pretensions of mine and cannot now be increased by the office of Vice President.   Upon Pennsylvania ratifying the 12th Amendment to the Constitution of 1787, creating for the first time a Presidential/Vice Presidential ticket, Governor McKean transmitted the state ratification on January 8, 1804 to President Jefferson with a letter stating: Several Gentleman of the Republican Party have wished to use my name as a Candidate for Vice President, but I have absolutely declined it on public and personal considerations, and my reasons seem to have given satisfaction. Former President McKean, although respectful of President Jefferson’s office, saw the Vice Presidency as a post vastly substandard of the office he held in the crucial months of 1781.

Born in a Tavern and ending in a Tavern The United States Founding governments
occupied 11 different capitol buildings experienced 15 years of challenges that included war,
hyper-inflation, a failed constitution, judicial corruption, armed citizen and U.S. Army rebellion. 

Medallion Reverse: Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia - Capitol Building from September 5, 1774 to October 24, 1774.  The medallion's reverse also celebrates the passage of the Articles of Association on October 20, 1774 that "coined" the term Continental Congress.   It was proposed on September 4, 1774 in Philadelphia's City Tavern that the First Continental Congress convene at the Pennsylvania State House. The Colonial Delegates, however, thought it best not to gather in an official Government structure and agreed to convene the next day at Carpenters Hall.   At the City Tavern there was also much discussion on who would be chosen as the President (Presiding Officer) of the new Congress.  Peyton Randolph secured the delegates votes at the unofficial Tavern meeting including Thomas McKean’s.   The following day, in Carpenters Hall, Delegate McKean heavily supported Joseph Galloway’s Plan to restore the Colonies to a permanent Union with Great Britain. John Adams wrote of Patrick Henry views on delegates, like McKean, who supported Galloway’s  Plan:

“He has a horrid Opinion of Galloway, Jay, and the Rutledges. Their System he says would ruin the Cause of America. He is very impatient to see such Fellows, and not be at Liberty to describe them in their true Colours.” [i]

The Plan, discussed in a previous chapter, failed of a vote six to five by the Colonies.

The Articles of Association were quite significant as they implemented radical measures against the crown:

“Article I - That from and after the first day of December next, we will not import, into British America, from Great-Britain or Ireland, any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, or from any other place, any such goods, wares, or merchandise, as shall have been exported from Great-Britain or Ireland; nor will we, after that day, import any East-India tea from any part of the world; nor any molasses, syrups, paneles, coffee, or pimento, from the British plantations or from Dominica; nor wines from Madeira, or the Western Islands; nor foreign indigo.” [ii]

The Articles also stated:

“And we do solemnly bind ourselves and our constituents, under the ties aforesaid, to adhere to this association, until such parts of the several acts of parliament passed since the close of the last war, as impose or continue duties on tea, wine, molasses, syrups paneles, coffee, sugar, pimento, indigo, foreign paper, glass, and painters' colours, imported into America, and extend the powers of the admiralty courts beyond their ancient limits, deprive the American subject of trial by jury, authorize the judge's certificate to indemnify the prosecutor from damages, that he might otherwise be liable to from a trial by his peers, require oppressive security from a claimant of ships or goods seized, before he shall be allowed to defend his property, are repealed.-And until that part of the act of the 12 G. 3. ch. 24, entitled "An act for the better securing his majesty's dock-yards magazines, ships, ammunition, and stores," by which any persons charged with committing any of the offenses therein described, in America, may be tried in any shire or county within the realm, is repealed-and until the four acts, passed the last session of parliament, viz. that for stopping the port and blocking up the harbour of Boston-that for altering the charter and government of the Massachusetts-Bay-and that which is entitled "An act for the better administration of justice, &c."-and that "for extending the limits of Quebec, &c." are repealed. And we recommend it to the provincial conventions, and to the committees in the respective colonies, to establish such farther regulations as they may think proper, for carrying into execution this association.” [iii]

With this signature on these Articles, Thomas McKean endorsed radical steps he so earnestly sought to avoid since his involvement with Colonial politics dating back to the Stamp Act of 1765.  The liberal Adam-Lee Faction, unbeknownst to many of the conservatives, had won by defeating Galloway's as the Articles of Association transferred the Continental Congress into a revolutionary quasi-government of the Colonies.  

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