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Maximus Gibson, son of Aaron and Gladys Gibson of Princeton, was the 2025 Illinois Daughters of the American Revolution Patriots of the American Revolution essay contest winner for his essay on Founding Father Roger Sherman.
Gibson is a freshman at Princeton Christian Academy. He received his recognition at the State Illinois DAR Youth Luncheon in Bloomington.
Sherman was the only person to sign all four great state papers of the U.S.: the Articles of Association in 1774, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Articles of Confederation in 1781 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Each year, the Princeton-Illinois chapter of the DAR promotes and conducts the “Patriots of the American Revolution” essay contest for high school students. Students select a figure from the American Revolution and discuss how he or she contributed to the founding of a new nation.
The essay that wins at the chapter level is then submitted to state chairs of American history, from which a statewide winner is selected.
The Princeton-Illinois chapter DAR said it is honored to have the state winner be a Bureau County student.