Jonathan Trumbull served as the chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1766 to 1769, then as governor from 1769 to 1783. He was the only one of the pre-War governors who continued to serve throughout the conflict, no doubt because of his ardent support of the colonial side in disputes with Britain.
Trumbull was one of George Washington's closest advisors. The term "Jonathan" or "Brother Jonathan" was commonly used at the time to denote an American or New Englander, stemming from Washington's frequent refrain of "Let's ask Brother Jonathan" (meaning Trumbull) when faced with a difficult problem.