NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

5 facts about John Witherspoon, a slaveholder and the only university president to sign the Declaration of Independence

  • Written by Joseph Yannielli, Lecturer in History, Aston University
imageA statue of John Witherspoon overlooks a common area at Princeton University.Oliver Morris via Getty Images

Since 2001, a bronze statue of the Rev. John Witherspoon has loomed over a busy pedestrian plaza at Princeton University, where he served as president from 1768 to 1794. During his tenure at Princeton, Witherspoon made history by signing the...

Read more: 5 facts about John Witherspoon, a slaveholder and the only university president to sign the...

More Articles ...

  1. How legalized sports betting has transformed the fan experience
  2. How the ancient Jewish 'new year for trees' became an Israeli celebration of nature
  3. ChatGPT is great – you're just using it wrong
  4. A journey from work to home is about more than just getting there – the psychological benefits of commuting that remote work doesn't provide
  5. Russia is violating the last remaining nuclear treaty with the US, according to Washington
  6. Why the Fed raised interest rates by the smallest amount since it began its epic inflation fight
  7. What international law says about Israel's planned destruction of Palestinian assailants' homes
  8. City planners are questioning the point of parking garages
  9. Lung cancer rates have decreased for the Marlboro Man, but have risen steeply for nonsmokers and young women – an oncologist explains why
  10. George Santos: A democracy can't easily penalize lies by politicians
  11. US is spending record amounts servicing its national debt – interest rate hikes add billions to the cost
  12. Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights
  13. Brazil's economic challenges are again Lula's to tackle – this time around they're more daunting
  14. Why are there prisons? An expert explains the history of using 'correctional' facilities to punish people
  15. How evangelicals moved from supporting environmental stewardship to climate skepticism
  16. US debt default could trigger dollar’s collapse – and severely erode America’s political and economic might
  17. Meet Bayard Rustin, often-forgotten civil rights activist, gay rights advocate, union organizer, pacifist and man of compassion for all in trouble
  18. Limits to computing: A computer scientist explains why even in the age of AI, some problems are just too difficult
  19. Does this cause cancer? How scientists determine whether a chemical is carcinogenic – sometimes with controversial results
  20. 'Acts that defy humanity:' 3 essential reads on police brutality, race and the power of video evidence
  21. FDA advisory committee votes unanimously in favor of a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine approach – 5 questions answered
  22. Independent voters can be decisive in elections – but they're pretty unpredictable, not 'shadow partisans'
  23. Rural Americans aren't included in inflation figures – and for them, the cost of living may be rising faster
  24. LA's long, troubled history with urban oil drilling is nearing an end after years of health concerns
  25. Power struggles in nature can be more subtle, nuanced and strategic than just dog-eat-dog
  26. It shouldn't seem so surprising when the pope says being gay 'isn't a crime' – a Catholic theologian explains
  27. Beavers and oysters are helping restore lost ecosystems with their engineering skills – podcast
  28. What's effective altruism? A philosopher explains
  29. Ukraine has a mixed record of treating its citizens fairly – that could make it harder for it to maintain peace, once the war ends
  30. People blame and judge parents for children's heavier weights
  31. How California's ambitious new climate plan could help speed energy transformation around the world
  32. Debates over sacred images in the Byzantine Empire show why it's hard to appease any side
  33. Prince Harry's kill count revelation could spark important discussions about war's effects on soldiers
  34. US will give military tanks to Ukraine, signaling Western powers' long-term commitment to thwarting Russia
  35. COVID-19 deaths in the US continue to be undercounted, research shows, despite claims of 'overcounts'
  36. Even bivalent updated COVID-19 boosters struggle to prevent omicron subvariant transmission – an immunologist discusses why new approaches are necessary
  37. Fossil teeth reveal how brains developed in utero over millions of years of human evolution – new research
  38. The SAT and ACT are less important than you might think
  39. Calls for Pope Benedict's sainthood make canonizing popes seem like the norm – but it's a long and politically fraught process
  40. Starbucks fans are steamed: The psychology behind why changes to a rewards program are stirring up anger, even though many will get grande benefits
  41. Atlanta's BeltLine shows how urban parks can drive 'green gentrification' if cities don't think about affordable housing at the start
  42. Typical mass shooters are in their 20s and 30s – suspects in California's latest killings are far from that average
  43. Monterey Park: A pioneering Asian American suburb shaken by the tragedy of a mass shooting
  44. 'The Whale' is a horror film that taps into our fear of fatness
  45. Combating antisemitism today: Holocaust education in the era of Twitter and TikTok
  46. Grassroots AIDS activists fought for and won affordable HIV treatments around the world – but PEPFAR didn't change governments and pharma
  47. Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice
  48. Device transmits radio waves with almost no power – without violating the laws of physics
  49. How some enslaved Black people stayed in Southern slaveholding states – and found freedom
  50. New passport rankings show that the world is opening up – but not for everyone