Samuel Blodgett (1757-1814)
Merchant, of Philadelphia; Founder of the Boston Tontine Association, etc.
He played an important role in the foundation of Washington, D.C. as the national capital. Having previously served on George Washington's staff during the Revolutionary War, Samuel Jr. served as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners tasked with designing the capital city, and he used his wealth to finance the construction of both the U.S. Capitol and the White House. But, the man who symbolized the growth and ambition in early America, and had his portrait (see images) painted by John Trumbull c.1784, died penniless in a Baltimore hospital.
