The LuLac Edition #5, 683, June 13th, 2026

 

CAESAR RODNEY

DELAWARE’S

DECISIVE VOTE 

Caesar Rodney   was a Delaware Founding Father, lawyer, and soldier who signed the Declaration of Independence and played a pivotal role in securing Delaware’s vote for independence in 1776 The National Constitution Center.

Born on October 7, 1728, on his family’s 849-acre plantation “Byfield” in Kent County, Delaware, Rodney was the eldest son of Caesar and Elizabeth Crawford Rodney Wikipedia. He received early education at The Latin School in Philadelphia before his father’s death in 1746. Rodney served as sheriff of Kent County, judge of the Supreme Court, and later as Delaware’s governor during the Revolutionary War The National Constitution Center.

Rodney was a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776. In 1776, when the vote on independence was tied 2–1 in Delaware, Rodney was in Dover, serving as brigadier general in the state militia The National Constitution Center. On July 1, 1776, despite suffering from asthma and a cancerous facial condition, he rode overnight through stormy weather from Dover to Philadelphia to cast the deciding vote in favor of independence AOL. This ride, often reenacted today, is considered one of the most dramatic moments in the Declaration’s ratification 

Rodney’s actions ensured Delaware’s support for the Declaration, making him a key figure in the American Revolution. He also represented Delaware at the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and was a signer of the Continental Association American History Central.

Today, Rodney is remembered not only for his political and military service but also for his personal sacrifice. In 2026, as part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, a bronze equestrian statue of Rodney was installed at Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza, alongside other Revolutionary War figures, to honor his pivotal ride and the broader story of the nation’s founding WJLA.

Caesar Rodney’s ride to Philadelphia in 1776 was the decisive act that secured Delaware’s vote for independence, cementing his place among the Founding Fathers and ensuring the Declaration’s ratification.

Rodney was tormented throughout his life by asthma, and his adult years were plagued by a facial cancer. He experienced expensive, painful, and futile medical treatments for the cancer. Rodney wore a green scarf to hide his disfigured face. He died from the disease after eight years. His body is buried at an unmarked grave on his beloved farm, "Poplar Grove", known as "Byfield" today.

While there is a marker that appears to be a gravestone for Caesar Rodney at Christ Episcopal Church, this is merely a monument. Many sources cite that he is buried there; however, most Delaware historians believe that the remains of one of Rodney's unidentified relatives is buried there instead. Rodney is buried in an unmarked grave in his family's unmarked plot on their former 800-acre farm (320 ha) east of Dover Air Force Base.

The Caesar Rodney School District in Delaware is named after him.  (LuLac, wikipedia)