Increase Sumner

Article summary

Increase Sumner (November 27, 1746 – June 7, 1799) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Massachusetts. He was the fifth governor of Massachusetts, serving from 1797 to 1799. Trained as a lawyer, he served in the provisional government of Massachusetts during the American Revolutionary War, and was elected to the Confederation Congress in 1782. Appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court the same year, he served there as an associate justice until 1797. He was elected governor of Massachusetts three times by wide margins, but died shortly after the start of his third term. His descendants include his son William H. Sumner, for whom the Sumner Tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, is named, and 20th-century diplomats Sumner Welles and Sumner Gerard.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1746-11-27 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1746-11-27 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 1799-06-07 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1746-11-27". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1746-11-27". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "1799-06-07". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

No sources recorded.