A gentleman of unbounded philanthropy. That’s how Daniel Carroll of Rock Creek was described after his death. This is where he lived and ultimately died. Daniel Carroll of Rock Creek wasn’t just a name on a historical marker. He was a pivotal figure in early American history. A prominent member of a wealthy Maryland family. His family connections were impressive. His cousin was Charles Carroll of Carrollton a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His brother John became the first Catholic bishop in the United States.
Born in 1730 in Upper Marlboro Maryland Daniel received a fine education. He studied for six years under Jesuits at St Omer’s in Flanders. After a European tour he returned home and married Eleanor Carroll. For two decades he lived the life of a gentleman planter. He wasn’t initially involved in politics. The American Revolution changed everything.
Reluctantly at first Daniel joined the Patriot cause. He worried about economic ruin. He also feared mob rule. This was a very real concern for wealthy landowners. Once laws excluding Catholics from office were overturned Daniel entered politics. In 1781 he was elected to the Continental Congress. He signed the Articles of Confederation. He also served in the Maryland Senate. He worked with George Washington. They promoted the Patowmack Company. Its goal was to make the Potomac River navigable.
Daniel Carroll of Rock Creek was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He played a key role. He argued that the president should be elected by the people. Not by the legislature. He pushed for the Bill of Rights. He also supported the Tenth Amendment. This amendment reserves powers not given to the federal government to the states and the people. Daniel was one of only five men to sign both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
In 1789 he was elected to the US House of Representatives. He voted to locate the nation’s capital on the Potomac. He also supported Hamilton’s plan to assume state debts. George Washington appointed him as one of three commissioners. They surveyed and laid out the District of Columbia. Daniel Carroll owned land in the area. Sadly his health declined. He resigned his commission in 1795. Daniel died in 1796 at his home near Rock Creek. His exact burial place is unknown. There is a memorial stone at St John the Evangelist Cemetery. This cemetery is near the chapel his brother used for his Rock Creek mission. A fitting tribute for a man who helped shape a nation. A man whose legacy lives on.