John Collins (June 8, 1717[1] – March 4, 1795), was an American politician and a Founding Father of the United States who, as a member of the Continental Congress, signed the Articles of Confederation.
Born in Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, he was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Collins.
In 1782, he was made bearer to the President of Congress of a statement of Rhode Island's reasons for rejecting the Impost Act.
During the American Revolution, Rhode Island was for the most part an agricultural area, and as such opposed the restrictions of a national government.
This law led to the suit of Trevett vs. Weeden, which resulted in a decision looking toward the right of courts to declare legislative enactments unconstitutional.