Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Hillegas, Michael

HILLEGAS, Michael, merchant, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1729; d. there, 29 Sept., 1804. His father, Michael Hillegas, was an early German emigrant. The son engaged in sugar-refining, possessed means and was active in municipal and national affairs. In June, 1774, he became treasurer of the committee of safety, of which Dr. Franklin was president. In 1775 he was appointed by the Continental congress treasurer of the United States, with George Clymer as his assistant, and held this office until 1789. On 2 April, 1781, the general assembly of Pennsylvania passed the following resolution: “Resolved, That Michael Hillegas be requested and empowered to revise, compare, correct, and publish in one volume the resolves of the committee of the late province of Pennsylvania, with their instructions to their representatives in assembly held at Philadelphia, July 15, 1774; the proceedings of the provincial conference of committees held at Carpenter's Hall, June 18, 1776; the Declaration of Independence, made July 4, 1776; minutes of the proceedings of the convention of the state of Pennsylvania, July 15, 1776, with the constitution; the minutes of the assemblies of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the end of 1781, and the articles of confederation.” The volume was published in 1782.