Many Americans recall that, ironically, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 within hours of one another. Few recall that another noteworthy lawyer, Luther Martin of Maryland, who was a bitter antagonist of Jefferson, died that very month. Although Adams and Jefferson are justifiably revered public figures celebrated in various media events, Martin lies forgotten in what was once a Greenwich Village graveyard that was paved over for a public park in the 20th century.
It was not always that way. Martin, who was born in New Jersey, practiced law for decades in Maryland. Politically active in the patriot cause, he was named attorney general for Maryland during the Revolution. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he was a staunch opponent to the concentration of federal power, concerned that it would subsume the power of the states. Martin also vigorously fought for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the proposed Constitution. He left in disgust before the conclusion of the Convention and did not sign the document. Returning to Maryland, he aggressively fought to prevent its ultimate ratification by the Maryland House of Delegates.
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