Roger Sherman (1721-1793), American jurist and statesman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in Newton, Massachusetts. Sherman was a shoemaker in early life. In 1743 he moved to New Milford, Connecticut, where he studied law. He served several terms in the Connecticut legislature between 1755 and 1766. In 1766 he was appointed a judge of the Connecticut Superior Court and elected to the Connecticut Senate. He was a member of the Continental Congress and served on the Committee of Five appointed to prepare a draft of the Declaration of Independence. Sherman also helped write the Articles of Confederation. From 1784 until his death he was mayor of New Haven. His contemporaries considered him a master in the handling of legislation. In 1787 he was a member of the Federal Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and in the U.S. Senate from 1791 to 1793.