John Rutledge (1739–1800) was the elder of two Rutledge brothers representing South Carolina in the Continental Congress at this time. He had served in the South Carolina House of Commons for a number of years and in the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. During the Revolution Rutledge was president of South Carolina 1776–78, governor of the state 1779–82, and again a member of Congress 1782–83.