Abraham Clark was born on February 15, 1726, in present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey. With little formal education and chronic illnesses that made farm work difficult, he pursued independent study and developed strong skills in mathematics. He became known as a “poor man’s counselor,” offering legal advice—often for free—despite likely never being formally admitted to the bar.

Clark married Sarah Hatfield, and they had ten children. He began his public career as high sheriff of Essex County before joining the New Jersey colonial legislature in 1775.

When New Jersey’s original delegates opposed independence at the Continental Congress, the state convention replaced them with six new delegates, including Clark. He signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and remained a steady presence in the Continental Congress, often serving simultaneously in the state legislature. During the war, two of his sons were captured and imprisoned by the British aboard the Jersey prison ship.

After the war, Clark was one of twelve delegates to attend the Annapolis Convention of 1786, addressing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Though illness prevented him from attending the Constitutional Convention, he lobbied for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights.

In later years, Clark was elected to the Second and Third U.S. Congresses. He died of heat stroke on September 15, 1794, having dedicated his life to the birth of this new nation.