Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated in private schools such as George

In Delaware, Read established quite a reputation and in time was appointed attorney general to three Delaware counties, an office he held until he was elected to the first Continental Congress in 1774. In 1764, the period leading up to the stamp act protests, Read had joined the Delaware Committee of Correspondence and was active in the patriot movement. At the Continental Congress he found Lee's Resolution for independence to be too hasty and voted against it. When it was adopted, however, he joined the majority in working toward independence.