Willis Van Devanter was a United States Supreme Court Justice appointed in 1910 by President William Howard Taft. Of Dutch American descent, he previously served as chief justice of the Wyoming Territory and later as a federal appellate judge.
Adriaen van der Donck was an early Dutch colonial leader in New Netherland and one of the colony’s best-educated settlers. A lawyer trained at Leiden University, he advocated for colonists’ rights and established an estate that later gave the city of Yonkers its name.
John Lansing Jr. (1754–1829) was a New York jurist and political leader who served in the Continental Congress and attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Though he declined to sign the Constitution, he later became Chief Justice and Chancellor of New York.
Philip Livingston (1716–1778) was a New York merchant, political leader, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. A member of the prominent Livingston family, he served in the Continental Congress and helped support the American Revolution.
William Livingston (1723–1790) was a lawyer, patriot, and the first elected governor of New Jersey. A signer of the U.S. Constitution, he also served in the Continental Congress and supported the American cause during the Revolution.
Gouverneur Morris (1752–1816) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who helped draft the U.S. Constitution and is credited with writing its famous preamble, “We the People.” A New York delegate, he later served as U.S. senator and diplomat to France.
Lewis Morris III (1726–1798) was a New York statesman and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. A delegate to the Continental Congress, he came from the prominent Morris family of Morrisania and had deep Dutch ancestry through the Staats family.
John Peter Van Ness (1770–1846) was an American politician, soldier, and civic leader who served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives from New York. After moving to Washington, D.C., he became a militia general and later served as mayor of Washington from 1830 to 1834.
Isaac Newton Van Nuys (1836–1912) was a California rancher, banker, and entrepreneur who helped develop the San Fernando Valley and founded the community that became Van Nuys, California. His investments in agriculture, milling, and real estate helped shape early Los Angeles growth.
William Penn (1644–1718) was an English Quaker leader and colonial proprietor who founded the Province of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia. His colony became known for religious freedom, democratic governance, and peaceful relations with Native Americans.
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