The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Stockton, Richard
1730–81, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. near Princeton, N.J. A successful lawyer in New Jersey, he tried to find means of reconciliation in the conflict between England and the American colonies. However, after his election (1776) to the Continental Congress he sought independence. Stockton was captured by the British while on an inspection tour, and although he was soon released, the effects of harsh treatment as a prisoner eventually brought about his death.
