Luther Martin Biography

Luther Martin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, was a lawyer and politician who had refused to sign the Constitution as he felt it violated the states’ rights. He strongly identified with the patriotic cause and was an early advocate of independence of American colonies from Great Britain. Before entering the world of politics he was a brilliant lawyer with a flourishing practice. However, he could not find it in himself to ignore the state of affairs between the colonies and Great Britain. He strongly opposed the British attempts to impose taxes on the colonies and served on the patriot committee of Somerset County, New Jersey. He was made the attorney general of Maryland and in this position he prosecuted Loyalists in great numbers. He was elected to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia where he supported the smaller states and was against the creation of a government where the larger states could dominate the smaller ones. He was a strict Anti-Federalist who strongly opposed the United States Constitution as he believed it violated the states’ rights. He was an advocate of the Bill of Rights which had amendments to guarantee a number of personal freedoms and limited the government’s judicial power. He along with Patrick Henry and George Mason played a significant role in getting the Bill of Rights passed.