Joseph Warren was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on January 6, 1742. He graduated from Harvard University in 1759 and then went to Europe, where he studied medicine at the University of Leyden. He practiced medicine for a short time in Boston before moving to North Carolina to practice medicine. While practicing medicine in Halifax, North Carolina, he became interested in politics and was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1775
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He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1776 and served until 1783. During this time, he wrote several bills that were passed by the Congress and is credited with authoring the first Declaration of Independence (August 1, 1776). He served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War until September 12, 1775.
After the war ended, he returned to North Carolina and continued practicing medicine until his death on June 24, 1813.