1992 - 2 - Siirtolaisuusinstituutti

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fohn Morton Had the Decisive Vote inL776
DISCUSSION
In 1988 - the 350th Anniversary of the Delaware settlement - there was a fierce
debate in Finland whether John Morton of Finnish origin casted the decisive vote
for the Declaration of American Independence or not. In 1992 there are many
events under the theme "Roots in Finlaid". Consequently, it might be appropriat'e
to publish Peter S. Craig's letter confirming the role of John Morton in the process
of declaring the independence in the United States.
The letter from Peter S. Craig, Amerition by Dr. Richard H. Hulan).
can Historian, to Olavi Koivukangas,
Director of the Institute of Migration,
July 28,79912
...Yes, John Morton did cast the deciding
vote putting the colony of Pennsylvania
John Morton(1725-1777) was the son
of John Morton (7683-1725) and Mary
Archer (c170V1777). His father was son
of MArten MArtensson Jr. (c1.6a6-U1.8)
and Margaret Bartlesdotter (c1656-
on record as favoring the Declaration of
Plndependence. The vote was 12 coloc771.0).
His mother was son of John
Archer (1,649-1740) and Gertrude Barnies
for independence, none opposed tlesdotter (c1,660a7 a$.
(New York abstained). The vote of the MArten Mlrtensson was eight years
Pennsylvania delegation was 3-2 in old when he came to New Sweden with
favor of independence, with ]ohn Morton
joining BenjaminFranklin and ]ames
Wilson to put Pennsylvania on the side
his father, MArten MArtensson Sr., on the
Orn in L654. MArten MArtensson, "born
in Finland in Sweden" was reported to
of independence. (Two other members be about 100 years old when he was
of the Pennsylvania delegation who opposed
independence agreed to abstain
buried on 31 May 1706. ]ohn Archer,
born in Sweden (by the 1693 church cen-
from voting.)
sus), came to America with his father
Matthias Hultgren, pastor of Gloria
Dei church, wrote in the 1780's: "John
Johan Grelsson (later called John Corneliusson)
from the Fryksdal valley in
Morton was ... a member of the 1776 Viirmland on the Mercurius in 1656.
Congress, during the important discussion,
whether the English Colonies
After Johan Grelsson died in 1683, his
widow Helena married the widowed
should declare themselves independent MArten Mirtensson, Sr. Margaret and
or not. An even half of the members Gertrude Bartlesdotter were daughters
were for a while of the other opinion of B2irtil Eskilsson (died c1678), a Finn
about this, butJohn Morton atlast joined from Sunne parish, Viirmland who, with
the party of those who voted for inde- his father (Eskil Larsson), had been sent
pendence. As now no more association to New Sweden in 1641as punishment
with the motherland was to be antici- for burnbeating. MArten MArtensson Sr.,
pated, the flame of war spread out, and
as a result thereof many afflicts came
Johan Grelsson (Corneliusson) and Bdrtil
Eskilsson all lived in Ammansland
upon the land: this is said to have gone where the ancestral "Morton Home-
so much to his heart, that a little while stead" is now marked as a National His-
thereafter he died of sorrow." (translatoric monument...
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