Born in Philadelphia, he graduated from the College of Philadelphia and began the practice of law. He signed the Declaration of Independence and held various offices under the federal government. "The Battle of the Kegs" is his best-known production.
THE BATTLE of THE KEGS
59. Stomach: courage.
JOSEPH HOPKINSON (1770-1842)
"His legal essays and decisions were long accepted as authoritative; but he will be longest remembered for his national song, 'Hail Columbia,' written in 1798, which attained immediate popularity and did much to fortify wavering patriotism."
—NEW INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
THE BALLAD of NATHAN HALE
For the story of Nathan Hale see any good history of the American Revolution. He is honored by the students of Yale as one of its noblest graduates, and the building in which he lived has been remodeled and marked with a memorial tablet, while a bronze statue stands before it. This is the last of Yale's old buildings and will now remain for many years.
31. minions: servile favorites.
48. presage: foretell.