Francis Hopkinson signed the Declaration of Independence, wrote what is considered the first surviving secular song by an American-born composer, invented musical instruments, and claimed to have designed the American flag, then asked to be paid with a quarter cask of public wine. This episode explores how his Enlightenment mindset connected music, law, and design, and how a failed job hunt in London turned a would-be British customs official into a revolutionary.

We look at his satirical writing, including A Pretty Story and The Battle of the Kegs, his work on the Navy Board, and the unfinished pyramid he placed on continental currency. We also cover the Treasury Board’s rejection of his invoice, his impeachment trial as an Admiralty judge, his appointment as a federal judge, and the contradiction of a liberty writer who enslaved people.

• How the 1752 calendar change moved his birthday from September 21 to October 2
• His modified glass harmonica and the bell-striking instrument he called the Bellarmonic
• Why the British patronage system shut him out despite meetings with Lord North
• His itemized bill to Congress, valuing the naval flag design at nine pounds
• The rejection letter that became key evidence of his role in designing the flag