He attended school at an early age and excelled in mathematics, however his family could not afford to send him to college.

[10] Patterson was one of five American Philosophical Society members who were consulted by Lewis prior to the expedition.

One of Patterson's ciphers included in a December 19, 1801,[17] dated letter to Jefferson was decoded in 2007 by Lawren Smithline.

[18] Jefferson appointed Patterson as director of the United States Mint in 1805 and he served in this role until his death.

[1] Patterson was one of the founders of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and served as the first chairman of their board of managers.

[1] He died on July 22, 1824, and was initially interred in a churchyard in Philadelphia and reinterred in 1844 at Laurel Hill Cemetery along with his wife after her death.

[23] Their son, Robert M. Patterson, also served as director of the mint and succeeded his father as professor of mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania.