Caleb Strong - American Revolution

American Revolution

When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Strong was unable to serve in the military because of his damaged sight, but he was otherwise active in the Patriot cause. He served on the Northampton Committee of Safety and other local offices, but refused service in the Continental Congress. He was elected to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1776. He was a delegate to the 1779 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, and was elected to the committee that drafted the state constitution, ratified in 1780. He then served on the first governor's council and in the state senate from 1780 to 1789.

Strong's legal practice thrived during the tumultuous war years. He became a judge of the Court of Common Please in 1775, and was appointed county attorney of Hampshire County the following year, a post he held until 1800. On more than one occasion he was offered a post on the state's supreme court, but rejected the post on account of its inadequate salary.