William Whipple was born in Kittery, Maine, in 1730, and left school as a teenager to become a successful seaman. He later settled in Portsmouth and became a prosperous merchant, while also serving in various local offices and joining the Patriot movement. In 1775, he represented his town at the provincial congress, and was appointed to the Continental Congress the following year. He also served in the military, rising to the rank of Brigadier General and leading successful expeditions against the British. After the war, he became an associate justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire, but died from a heart ailment while traveling his court circuit in 1785.
