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Reverdy Johnson

2025-09-08T00:57:56Z

2601:156:8400:A040:1DFF:B415:91A2:B800:

{{short description|American politician (1796–1876)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Reverdy Johnson
|image = Reverdy Johnson (cropped).jpg
|caption = Johnson {{circa|1855–1865}}
|office = 23rd [[United States Minister to the United Kingdom]]
|president = [[Andrew Johnson]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]]
|term_start = September 14, 1868
|term_end = May 13, 1869
|predecessor = [[Charles Francis Adams Sr.|Charles Adams]]
|successor = [[John Lothrop Motley|John Motley]]
|office1 = Member of the [[Maryland House of Delegates]]
|term_start1 = 1861
|term_end1 = 1862
|jr/sr2 = United States Senator
|state2 = [[Maryland]]
|term_start2 = March 4, 1863
|term_end2 = July 10, 1868
|predecessor2 = [[Anthony Kennedy (Maryland politician)|Anthony Kennedy]]
|successor2 = [[William Pinkney Whyte|William Whyte]]
|term_start3 = March 4, 1845
|term_end3 = March 7, 1849
|predecessor3 = [[William Duhurst Merrick|William Merrick]]
|successor3 = [[David Stewart (Maryland Senator)|David Stewart]]
|office4 = United States Attorney General
|order4 = 21st
|president4 = [[Zachary Taylor]] [[Millard Fillmore]]
|term_start4 = March 8, 1849
|term_end4 = July 21, 1850
|predecessor4 = [[Isaac Toucey]]
|successor4 = [[John J. Crittenden]]
|office5 = Member of the [[Maryland State Senate]]
|term_start5 = 1821
|term_end5 = 1825
|office6 = Chief Commissioner of Insolvent Debtors in Maryland
|term6 = 1817
|office7 = Deputy Attorney General of Maryland
|governor7 = [[Levin Winder]] [[Charles Carnan Ridgely]]
|term_start7 = 1816
|term_end7 = 1817
|birth_date = {{birth date|1796|5|21}}
|birth_place = [[Annapolis, Maryland]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|1876|2|10|1796|5|21}}
|death_place = Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
|resting_place = [[Green Mount Cemetery]]
|party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] (before 1860) [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (1860–1872)
|spouse = {{marriage|Mary Mackall Bowie|November 16, 1819|1871|end=her death}}
|children = 15
|father = [[John Johnson Sr.|John Johnson]]
|relatives = [[John Johnson Jr.]] (brother)
|education = [[St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe)|St. John's College, Maryland]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|signature = Signature of Reverdy Johnson.png
| allegiance = 
| branch = [[Maryland Defense Force|Maryland Militia]]
| serviceyears = 1814
| rank = [[Private (United States)|Private]]
| unit = 22nd Maryland Regiment 36th Maryland Regiment
| battles = {{tree list}}
* [[War of 1812]]
** [[Battle of Bladensburg]]{{tree list/end}}
}}
'''Reverdy Johnson''' (May 21, 1796{{spaced ndash}}February 10, 1876) was an American politician, statesman, and jurist from [[Annapolis, Maryland]]. He gained fame as a defense attorney, defending notables such as Sandford of the [[Dred Scott v. Sanford|Dred Scott case]], Maj. Gen. [[Fitz John Porter]] at his courts-martial, and [[Mary Surratt]], conspirator in the assassination of [[Abraham Lincoln]]. A former Whig, he was a strong supporter of the Union war effort. At first he opposed wartime efforts to abolish slavery until 1864, and in 1865 supported [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|the 13th Amendment]] banning slavery.

Johnson served as United States Minister to the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1869.

==Early life==
[[Image:RJohnson House-AnnapolisMD.jpg|thumb|left|Reverdy Johnson's house in [[Annapolis, Maryland]], relocated onto the campus of [[St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe)|St. John's College.]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Annapolis Experience Blog Picture Of The Day – The Chancellor Johnson House Circa 1720 • St. John's College – Tuesday June 30th 2015 « Annapolis Experience Blog|url=http://www.annapolisexperience.com/blog/2015/06/30/annapolis-experience-blog-picture-of-the-day-the-chancellor-johnson-house-circa-1720-%E2%80%A2-st-johns-college-tuesday-june-30th-2015/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=www.annapolisexperience.com}}</ref>]]
Johnson was born on May 21, 1796, in [[Annapolis, Maryland]].<ref name="miller-center">{{cite web |last=Holt |first=Michael |title=Reverdy Johnson (1849–1850): Attorney General |url=http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/cabinet/244 |work=American President: An Online Reference Resource |publisher=The University of Virginia |access-date=13 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217094148/http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/cabinet/244 |archive-date=17 December 2010}}</ref> He was the son of a distinguished [[Maryland]] lawyer and politician, [[John Johnson Sr.|John Johnson]] (1770–1824), who served as [[Attorney General of Maryland]] from 1806 to 1811 and later [[Chancellor of Maryland]], and Deborah ([[née]] Ghieselen) Johnson (1773–1847). His younger brothers were [[John Johnson Jr.]] (1798–1856), the last Chancellor of Maryland,<ref name="upenn">{{cite web|title=John Johnson (Johnson, John, 1798-1856, reporter)|url=http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Johnson%2C%20John%2C%201798-1856%2C%20reporter|website=onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu|publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania]]|access-date=11 May 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Johnson">{{cite book|last1=Gill|first1=Richard W.|last2=Johnson|first2=John|title=Reports of cases argued and determined in the Court of Appeals of Maryland: [1829-1842] ...|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/010426753|via=catalog.hathitrust.org|publisher=F. Lucas Jr.|access-date=11 May 2017|date=1 September 1833}}</ref> and George Johnson (1817–1892).<ref name="Marbury">William J. Marbury, "[http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/html/chancery.html The High Court of Chancery and the Chancellors of Maryland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205164041/https://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/html/chancery.html |date=2021-12-05 }}", Report of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Maryland State Bar Association, (1905), p. 137-155.</ref>

He graduated from [[St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe)|St. John's College]] in 1812 and then studied law. He was admitted to the [[bar (law)|bar]] in 1815.<ref name="miller-center"/> In August 1814, he served as a Private in Ens. William Brewer's detachment of the 36th Maryland Militia, fighting at the [[Battle of Bladensburg]].

==Career==
In 1816, he was appointed as Deputy Attorney General of Maryland, a position he held until 1817.<ref name="RJbioguide"/> In 1817, Johnson moved to [[Baltimore]],<ref name="RJbioguide"/> where he became a legal colleague of [[Luther Martin]], [[William Pinkney]] and [[Roger B. Taney]], the [[Attorney General of the United States|Attorney General]] and later [[Chief Justice of the United States]] from 1835 until 1864. He was appointed chief commissioner of insolvent debtors of Maryland in 1817.<ref name="RJbioguide"/> From 1821 until 1825 he served in the [[Maryland State Senate]] and then returned to practice law for two decades.<ref name="miller-center"/>

In 1842, while helping North Carolina Congressman [[Edward Stanly]] to ready himself for a [[duel]] with Virginia Congressman [[Henry A. Wise|Henry Wise]],<ref name=Poore>[https://archive.org/details/perleysreminisce00poor/page/n304/mode/1up?view=theater Poore, Ben. Perley, ''Perley's Reminiscences of Sixty Years in the National Metropolis'', Vol.1, p.295 (1886)].</ref> Johnson fired a pistol at a tree, from which the ball rebounded and hit Johnson's left eye, blinding that eye and triggering the gradual onset of a sympathetic deterioration of the other eye that worsened over the rest of his life, eventually leaving him almost completely blind.<ref name=Steiner>[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Life_of_Reverdy_Johnson_%28IA_lifeofreverdyjoh00stei%29.pdf Steiner, Bernard C., ''Life of Reverdy Johnson'', p.15 (1914)].</ref>

===Federal politics===
From 1845 to 1849, Johnson represented Maryland in the [[United States Senate]] as a [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]].

From his confirmation by the Senate in March 1849 until July 1850, Johnson was [[Attorney General of the United States]] under President [[Zachary Taylor]].<ref name="miller-center"/> He resigned on July 21, 1850, shortly after [[Millard Fillmore]] took office on July 9, 1850.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/chron/civilwarnotes/johnsonr.html|title=Reverdy Johnson (1796-1876)|publisher=The Late Library|access-date=August 1, 2025}}</ref>

While U.S. Attorney General, he was allowed to help Virginians [[Charles Wells Russell|Charles W. Russell]] and [[Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart|Alexander H. H. Stuart]] defend the [[Wheeling Suspension Bridge]] in his private capacity, that bridge also connecting two sections of the [[National Road]] as the first bridge crossing a major river west of the Appalachian Mountains.<ref>{{cite book|author=Elizabeth Brand Monroe|title=The Wheeling Bridge Case|location= Boston|publisher=Northeastern University Press|date=1992}}) pp. 67</ref> Although the plaintiffs technically won twice based on their argument that the bridge obstructed a navigable river, the bridge was never demolished (only repaired after wind damage) and further bridges were then constructed, including one over the [[Mississippi River]] at Rock Island in 1856.(which also led to litigation).

In November 1856, a large crowd, armed with guns and clubs, burned an [[effigy]] of Johnson on the railing of the Battle Monument in front of his house to protest a speech he made in New York against President Fillmore.<ref name="Effigy1856">{{cite news|title=Hon. Reverdy Johnson Burnt in Effigy in Baltimore.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1856/11/12/archives/hon-reverdy-johnson-burnt-in-in-baltimore.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 November 1856}}</ref>

A conservative [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], Johnson supported [[Stephen A. Douglas]] in the [[1860 U.S. presidential election|presidential election of 1860]]. He represented the [[slavery|slave]]-owning [[defendant]] in the controversial 1857 case ''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]''.<ref name="miller-center"/><ref>Misspelled in ''[[Scott v. Sandford]]'', 60 U.S. 393 (1857).</ref> However, Johnson was personally opposed to slavery and became a key figure in the effort to keep Maryland from seceding from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the [[American Civil War]].

He served as a Maryland delegate to the [[Peace Convention of 1861]] and from 1861 to 1862 served in the [[Maryland House of Delegates]]. During this time he represented Maj. Gen. [[Fitz John Porter]] at his [[Court-martial of Fitz John Porter|court-martial]], arguing that Porter's distinguished record of service ought to put him beyond question. The officers on the court-martial, all handpicked by [[Secretary of War]] [[Edwin Stanton]], voted to convict Porter of cowardice and disobedience.

After the capture of [[New Orleans]], President [[Abraham Lincoln]] commissioned Johnson to revise the decisions of the military commandant, [[General (United States)|General]] [[Benjamin Butler (politician)|Benjamin F. Butler]], in regard to foreign governments, and reversed all those decisions to the entire satisfaction of the administration. After the war, reflecting the diverse points of view held by his fellow statesmen, Johnson argued for a gentler [[Reconstruction era (United States)|Reconstruction]] effort than that advocated by the [[Radical Republicans]].<ref name="mrlincolnswhitehouse">{{cite web|title=Visitors from Congress: Reverdy Johnson (1796-1876)|website=Mr. Lincoln's White House|url=http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/residents-visitors/visitors-from-congress/visitors-congress-reverdy-johnson-1796-1876/|publisher=[[The Lehrman Institute]]|access-date=11 May 2017}}</ref>

===Return to the U.S. Senate===
In 1863, he again took a seat in the United States Senate, serving through 1868. "The [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|antislavery amendment]] caught Johnson's eye, however, because it offered an indisputable constitutional solution to the problem of slavery."<ref>Vorenberg, Michael (2001), ''Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment'', New York: Cambridge, p. 74, {{ISBN|9781139428002}} .</ref> In 1864, in a speech on the Senate floor, Johnson "cut loose from all Pro-Slavery associations by a bold declaration of strongest Anti Slavery sentiments", speaking in favor of the immediate and universal emancipation, and advocated the proposed amendment to the Constitution forever prohibiting slavery in the United States.<ref name="1864Emancipation">{{cite news|title=FROM WASHINGTON.; The Anti-Slavery Amendment to the Constitution. Eloquent Speech of Reverdy Johnson. He Takes Strong Ground for Immediate Emancipation. The National Bank Act Under Consideration. The Banks to be Subject to State and Municipal Taxation.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1864/04/06/news/washington-anti-slavery-amendment-constitution-eloquent-speech-reverdy-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 April 1864}}</ref>

In 1865, he defended [[Mary Surratt]] before a military tribunal.<ref name="mrlincolnswhitehouse"/> Surratt was convicted and executed for plotting and aiding Lincoln's assassination. In 1866, he was a delegate to the [[National Union Convention]] which attempted to build support for President Johnson. Senator Johnson's report on the proceedings of the convention was entered into the record of President Johnson's impeachment trial. In the Senate, he also served on the [[United States Congress Joint Committee on Reconstruction|Joint Committee on Reconstruction]] which drafted the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]], but he voted against passage of the amendment.<ref>Witt, John Fabian. "Elias Hill's Exodus: Exit and Voice in the Reconstruction Nation." In ''Patriots and Cosmopolitans: Hidden Histories of American Law''. Harvard University Press, 2007. p. 121</ref>

In 1866, he addressed the Senate regarding the appointment of provisional governors in the Southern States.<ref name="1866SenateActions">{{cite news|title=THIRTY - NINTH CONGRESS.; FIRST SESSION. SENATE. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE1DD153DE63ABC4A52DFB766838D679FDE&legacy=true|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 January 1866}}</ref><ref name="1866Speech">{{cite news|title=WASHINGTON NEWS.; Discussion Upon the Veto Continued. An Elaborate Speech by Reverdy Johnson. Remarkable Episode by Senator Wade. He Tries to Press the Matter to a Vote. After a Sharp Rebuke the Senate Adjourns. The Dodge-Brooks Case in the House. Mr. Brooks Makes a Curious Speech. Pay and Bounties to Officers and Soldiers. THIRTY-NINTH CONGRESS. FIRST SESSION. SENATE. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00E5DC133DE53BBC4E53DFB266838D679FDE&legacy=true|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 April 1866}}</ref> In 1867, Johnson voted for the [[Reconstruction Acts|Reconstruction Act]] of 1867, the only Democrat to vote for a Reconstruction measure in 1866 or 1867.<ref name="Reconstruction1867">{{cite news|title=Reverdy Johnson on Reconstruction.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1867/10/07/archives/reverdy-johnson-on-reconstruction.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 October 1867}}</ref><ref name="1868Letter">{{cite news|title=The Maryland Senatorship--Letter from Hon. Reverdy Johnson.; Hon. REVERDY JOHNSON, of Maryland, has written the following letter to Hon. JOHN LEB CARROLL, a member of the present State Senate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1868/01/09/archives/the-maryland-senatorshipletter-from-hon-reverdy-johnson-hon-reverdy.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=9 January 1868}}</ref>

===Ambassador to the United Kingdom===
On June 12, 1868, he was appointed minister to the [[Foreign relations of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]],<ref name="June1868Appointment">{{cite news|title=Our New Minister to England--The Appointment of Reverdy Johnson.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1868/06/13/archives/our-new-minister-to-englandthe-appointment-of-reverdy-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 June 1868}}</ref> beginning his term on September 14, 1868.<ref name="history.state">{{cite web|title=Reverdy Johnson (1796–1876)|url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/johnson-reverdy|website=history.state.gov|publisher=[[Office of the Historian]], [[Bureau of Public Affairs]] [[United States Department of State]]|access-date=11 May 2017|language=en}}</ref> While in England, he was criticized for fraternizing with the [[Laird]]s, [[Earl of Wharncliffe|Wharncliffes]], [[John Arthur Roebuck|Roebuck]]s, and [[Gregorios]], of England, which was considered a blunder in diplomacy.<ref name="Jan1869">{{cite news|title=Revendy Johnson in England.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1869/01/12/archives/revendy-johnson-in-england.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 January 1869}}</ref>

Soon after his arrival in England negotiated the [[Presidency of Andrew Johnson|Johnson-Clarendon Treaty]] for the settlement of disputes arising out of the Civil War, including the [[Alabama Claims|''Alabama'' Claims]].<ref name="EnglishPraise1869">{{cite news|title=Mr. Punch and Mr. Johnson.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1869/05/03/archives/mr-punch-and-mr-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=3 May 1869}}</ref> The Senate, however, refused to advise and consent to [[ratification]], and he returned home on the accession of General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] to the presidency.<ref name="1869Return">{{cite news|title=Mr. Reverdy Johnson's Return.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1869/05/22/archives/mr-reverdy-johnsons-return.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=22 May 1869}}</ref><ref name="1869Conversation">{{cite news|last1=Times|first1=Special Dispatch To The New-york|title=REVERDY JOHNSON AT HOME.; A Conversation with the ExMinister to England. His Views on the Rejection of the Alabama-Claims Treaty. Effect of Mr. Sumner's Speeoh on the English Ministry and People.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1869/06/07/archives/reverdy-johnson-at-home-a-conversation-with-the-exminister-to.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 June 1869}}</ref>

===Later career===
Again resuming his legal practice, he defended [[Ku Klux Klan]] members against indictments brought under the [[Enforcement Act of 1871 (third act)|Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871]].<ref>Witt, John Fabian. "Elias Hill's Exodus: Exit and Voice in the Reconstruction Nation." In ''Patriots and Cosmopolitans: Hidden Histories of American Law''. Harvard University Press, 2007. pp. 120–123</ref><ref name="1872KukluzSpeech">{{cite news|title=Greeley Says There is No Kuklux in the South Testimony of Reverdy Johnson, a Good Democrat, on the Subject.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1872/07/20/archives/greeley-says-there-is-no-kuklux-in-the-south-testimony-of-reverdy.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=20 July 1872}}</ref><ref name="1872ConstEnforce">{{cite news|title=THE KUKLUX.; Reverdy Johnson's Argument on the Constitutionality of the Enforcement Act.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1872/04/17/archives/the-kuklux-reverdy-johnsons-argument-on-the-constitutionality-of.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=17 April 1872}}</ref>

Even though out of office, Johnson continued to offer his opinion on public matters.<ref>{{cite news|title=REVERDY JOHNSON ON ANDREW JOHNSON.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1875/09/21/archives/reverdy-johnson-on-andrew-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=21 September 1875}}</ref> In December 1874, he wrote to ''[[The New York Times]]'', stating that he hoped that after the next Presidential Election, "the General Government will thereafter be brought back into the part of the Constitution, that the limits of its powers will be maintained, that the reserved authority of the States will be recognized, and that the rights of its citizens will be faithfully preserved."<ref name="JohnsonNYTLetter1874">{{cite news|title=LETTERS FROM PROMINENT DEMOCRATS.; GEORGE TICKNOR CURTIS. REVERDY JOHNSON.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1874/12/30/archives/letters-from-prominent-democrats-george-ticknor-curtis-reverdy.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=30 December 1874}}</ref> In December 1875, he wrote a letter to the ''[[Baltimore Sun]]'' discussing the potential impact of England's purchase of a controlling interest in the [[Suez Canal]].<ref>{{cite news|title=REVERDY JOHNSON ON ENGLAND'S PURCHASE.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1875/12/18/archives/reverdy-johnson-on-englands-purchase.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=18 December 1875}}</ref>

In early 1876, Johnson was in Annapolis arguing the case of ''Baker v. Frick'' in the Court of Appeals and was a guest at the [[Maryland Governor's Mansion]].<ref name="Death1876">{{cite news|title=REVERDY JOHNSON'S DEATH.; AFTER DINING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND HE LEAVES THE HOUSE AID IS FOUND LIFELESS IN THE YARD.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1876/02/11/archives/reverdy-johnsons-death-after-dining-with-the-governor-of-maryland.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=11 February 1876}}</ref> On February 10, during a dinner party at the mansion, he fell near a basement door, possibly after tripping, and was killed instantly after hitting his head on a sharp corner of the mansion's [[granite]] [[base course]] and then again on the [[cobblestone]] pavement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hon. Reverdy Johnson.; A Physician's Theory of the Cause of Death--Marks of Respect to the Deceased Statesman. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20A14FF355B127B93C0A81789D85F428784F9 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date= February 11, 1876 |access-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref> He was the last surviving member of Taylor's cabinet. Upon Johnson's death, the Supreme Court Bar unanimously issued a statement that praised Johnson for his contributions to the Court, and expressed their condolences for his sudden passing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Reports: Memoranda, 92 U.S. (1875) |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep092memoranda/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |via=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:1840, Sully, Thomas, Mrs. Rverdy Johnson.jpg|thumb|''Mrs. Reverdy Johnson'' by [[Thomas Sully]], ca. 1840, [[Princeton University Art Museum]]]]
On November 16, 1819, Johnson married Mary Mackall Bowie (1801–1873),<ref name="MBJObit1873"/> the sister of [[U.S. Representative|Rep.]] [[Thomas Fielder Bowie]]<ref name="RJbioguide">{{cite web|title=JOHNSON, Reverdy – Biographical Information|url=https://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=j000169|website=bioguide.congress.gov|publisher=[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]]|access-date=11 May 2017}}</ref> and the daughter of Thomas Contee Bowie (1771–1813) and Mary Mackall ([[née]] Bowie) Wootton (1776–1825), who were third cousins. Her mother was the widow of Turnor Wootton (d. 1797), whom she married in 1794 and had one child with, William Turner Wootton, and was the daughter of [[Governor of Maryland|Maryland Gov.]] [[Robert Bowie]] (1750–1818).<ref name="MBJObit1873">{{cite news|title=Death at Mrs. Reverdy Johnson.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1873/03/20/archives/death-at-mrs-reverdy-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=20 March 1873}}</ref> Together, Reverdy and Mary had 15 children, of which five daughters and three sons survived, including:<ref name="1876Honors"/>

* Mary Johnson (1822–1915), who married Thomas Hollingsworth Morris (1817–1872), the son of John Boucher Morris (1785–1874)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lance Humphries {{!}} Provenance, Patronage, and Perception: The Morris Suite of Baltimore Painted Furniture {{!}} American Furniture 2003|url=http://www.chipstone.org/article.php/671/American-Furniture-2003/Provenance,-Patronage,-and-Perception:-The-Morris-Suite-of-Baltimore-Painted-Furniture|access-date=2021-12-07|website=www.chipstone.org}}</ref>
**Mary Johnson Morris and Thomas Hollingsworth Morris had the daughter Lydia Hollingsworth Morris (1857–1936) who married Hollins McKim (1825–1911). Their daughter Mary Camilla McKim married Huntington Williams MD.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Huntington Williams, was health commissioner|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-05-05-1992126166-story.html|access-date=2021-12-07|website=Baltimore Sun|date=5 May 1992 |language=en}}</ref>
* Eliza Ridgely Johnson (1823–1897), who married Henry Daingerfield (d. 1866), the son of [[William H. Daingerfield]] (1808–1878)
* Reverdy Johnson Jr. (1826–1907), who married Caroline Patterson (1828–1863)<ref name="RJJrObit1907">{{cite news|title=Reverdy Johnson.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1907/07/16/archives/reverdy-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=16 July 1907}}</ref>
* Maria Louisa Johnson (1827–1893), who married [[William R. Travers|William Riggin Travers]] (1819–1887)
* Matilda Elizabeth Bowie Johnson (1829–1911), who married [[Charles J. M. Gwinn|Charles John Morris Gwinn]] (1822–1894), the [[Attorney General of Maryland]]<ref name="1876Honors"/>
* Emily Contee Johnson (1832–1909), who married George Washington Lewis (1829–1885), brother of [[Edward Parke Custis Lewis|Edward Lewis]] (1837–1892) and grandson of [[Lawrence Lewis (1767–1839)|Lawrence Lewis]] (1767–1839)
* Louis E Johnson (1837–1905), who married Marie May Bostick (1856–1942). He was the [[United States Marshals Service|United States Marshal of South Carolina]].<ref name="1876Honors"/>
* Edward Contee Johnson (1843–1905), who married Kate Moore (1871–1922)

After his death on February 10, 1876,<ref>{{cite news|title=Mr. Reverdy Johnson|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F06E5DF1E3FE73BBC4952DFB466838D669FDE&legacy=true|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=11 February 1876}}</ref> Johnson was buried at the [[Green Mount Cemetery]] in Baltimore, MD.<ref name="thelatinlibrary">{{cite web|title=Reverdy Johnson (1796-1876)|url=http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/chron/civilwarnotes/johnsonr.html|website=www.thelatinlibrary.com|publisher=THE LATIN LIBRARY|access-date=11 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="1876Funeral">{{cite news|title=THE LATE REVERDY JOHNSON.; HIS FUNERAL IN BALTIMORE YESTERDAY-- MANY FRIENDS OF THE DECEASED PRESENT.|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D05E2DE1E3FE73BBC4C52DFB466838D669FDE&legacy=true|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=14 February 1876}}</ref> Johnson had been the last surviving member of the Taylor Cabinet.<ref name="1876Honors">{{cite news|title=THE LATE REVERDY JOHNSON.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1876/02/13/archives/the-late-reverdy-johnson.html|access-date=11 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 February 1876}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the 2011 film ''[[The Conspirator]]'', Johnson is portrayed by actor [[Tom Wilkinson]].

==See also==
* [[Baltimore bank riot]]
* [[James Nesmith]]
* [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]]

==Notes==
;Notes
{{Reflist|30em}}

;Sources
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Johnson, Reverdy}}

==Writings==
*Johnson, Reverdy, ''[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/317693035 The Dangerous Conditions of the Country, the Causes Which Have Led to It, and the Duty of the People]'' (Baltimore; The Sun Printing Establishment, 1867)
*Johnson, Reverdy, ''[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24116855 A Further Consideration of the Dangerous Conditions of the Country, the Causes Which Have Led to It, and the Duty of the People]'' (Baltimore; The Sun Printing Establishment, 1867)

==Further reading==
* Harris, William C. ''Two Against Lincoln: Reverdy Johnson and Horatio Seymour, Champions of the Loyal Opposition'' (2017) [https://www.amazon.com/Two-Against-Lincoln-Champions-Opposition/dp/0700624120/ excerpt]
*Steiner, Bernard C., ''Life of Reverdy Johnson'', New Library Press.Net. {{ISBN|0-7950-2452-5}}
{{CongBio|J000169}}. Includes ''[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/guidedisplay.pl?index=J000169 Guide to Research Collections]'' where his papers are located.

==External links==
{{commons category}}

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Richard Rush

2025-09-08T00:46:31Z

2601:156:8400:A040:1DFF:B415:91A2:B800:

{{Short description|American lawyer, politician and diplomat (1780–1859)}}
{{for-multi|the director|Richard Rush (director)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Richard Rush
| image = Richard-Rush.jpg
| office = 17th [[United States Ambassador to France|United States Minister to France]]
| president = [[James K. Polk|James Polk]] [[Zachary Taylor]]
| term_start = July 31, 1847
| term_end = October 8, 1849
| predecessor = [[William R. King|William King]]
| successor = [[William Cabell Rives|William Rives]]
| office1 = 8th [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]]
| president1 = [[John Quincy Adams]] [[Andrew Jackson]]
| term_start1 = March 7, 1825
| term_end1 = March 5, 1829
| predecessor1 = [[William H. Crawford|William Crawford]]
| successor1 = [[Samuel D. Ingham|Samuel Ingham]]
| office2 = 8th [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|United States Minister to the United Kingdom]]
| president2 = [[James Monroe]] [[John Quincy Adams]]
| term_start2 = February 12, 1818
| term_end2 = April 27, 1825
| predecessor2 = [[John Quincy Adams]]
| successor2 = [[Rufus King]]
| office3 = Acting [[United States Secretary of State]]
| president3 = [[James Monroe]]
| term_start3 = March 10, 1817
| term_end3 = September 22, 1817
| predecessor3 = [[John Graham (diplomat)|John Graham]] (acting)
| successor3 = [[John Quincy Adams]]
| office4 = 8th [[United States Attorney General]]
| president4 = [[James Madison]] [[James Monroe]]
| term_start4 = February 10, 1814
| term_end4 = November 12, 1817
| predecessor4 = [[William Pinkney]]
| successor4 = [[William Wirt (attorney general)|William Wirt]]
| office5 = [[Comptroller of the Treasury]]
| president5 = [[James Madison]]
| term_start5 = 1811
| term_end5 = 1812
| office6 = [[Pennsylvania Attorney General|Attorney General of Pennsylvania]]
| governor6 = [[Simon Snyder]]
| term_start6 = January 26, 1811
| term_end6 = December 13, 1811
| predecessor6 = [[Joseph Reed (lawyer)|Joseph Reed]]
| successor6 = [[Jared Ingersoll]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1780|8|29}}
| birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], Province of Pennsylvania, British America
| death_date = {{death date and age|1859|7|30|1780|8|29}}
| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| resting_place = [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| party = [[Federalist Party|Federalist]] (before 1830) [[National Republican Party|National Republican]] (1830–1834) [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (1834–1859)
| spouse = Catherine Rush
| relatives = [[Benjamin Rush]] (father) [[James Rush]] (brother)
| education = [[Princeton University|College of New Jersey]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}} (renamed Princeton)
| signature = Richard Rush signature.png
| children = [[Benjamin Rush (lawyer)|Benjamin Rush]] [[Richard H. Rush]]
}}
'''Richard Rush''' (August 29, 1780 – July 30, 1859) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the 8th [[United States Attorney General]] from 1814 to 1817 and the 8th [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] from 1825 to 1829. He served as [[John Quincy Adams]]'s running mate on the [[National Republican]] ticket during the [[1828 United States presidential election]].

He served as [[List of Pennsylvania Attorneys General|Attorney General of Pennsylvania]] in 1811 and as [[Comptroller of the Treasury]] during the [[James Madison]] administration. Rush became one of Madison's closest advisers during the [[War of 1812]] and Madison elevated him to United States Attorney General in 1814. Rush remained in that position after [[James Monroe]] took office. He served as the acting [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] briefly in 1817 and negotiated the [[Rush–Bagot Treaty]], which limited naval forces on the [[Great Lakes]].

Rush served as the [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|ambassador to Britain]] from 1818 to 1825. He negotiated the [[Treaty of 1818]] which set the boundary between the U.S. and Canada and had discussions with [[George Canning]] that led to the announcement of the [[Monroe Doctrine]]. He served as [[United States Ambassador to France|minister to France]] from 1847 to 1849. He helped establish and served on the board of regents for the [[Smithsonian Institution]]. He was the last surviving member of the Madison<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-daily-herald-last/178795094/|title=Death of Hon. Richard Rush, of Pennsylvania|date=August 2, 1859|publisher=New York Daily Herald|access-date=August 13, 2025}}</ref> and Monroe Cabinets.

==Early life and education==
Rush was born on August 29, 1780, in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. He was the second son, and third child, of [[Benjamin Rush]] and Julia (Stockton) Rush, daughter of [[Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman)|Richard Stockton]] and [[Annis Boudinot Stockton]].{{sfn|Powell|1942|page=5}} He entered the College of New Jersey (now known as [[Princeton University]]) at the age of 14, and graduated in 1797 as the youngest member of his class. He studied law in the practice of [[William Lewis (judge)|William Lewis]] and was admitted to the bar in 1800.{{sfn|Powell|1942|page=6}}

Rush married Catherine Eliza Murray on the fall of 1809.{{sfn|Powell|1942|page=8}} They were the parents of eleven children including the lawyer and writer [[Benjamin Rush (lawyer)|Benjamin Rush]] and [[Union Army]] colonel [[Richard H. Rush]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Rush papers, 1812-1856 |url=https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-wcl-M-364rus |website=findiingaids.lib.umich.edu |publisher=University of Michigan Library |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

==Career==
As a lawyer, Rush first gained attention with a speech he gave which condemned the British naval attack during the [[Chesapeake–Leopard affair|Chesapeake-Leopard affair]].<ref name=Buel>{{cite book |last1=Buel |first1=Richard Jr. |last2=Lennox |first2=Jeffers |title=Historical Dictionary of the Early American Republic - Second Edition |date=2017 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=9781442262980 |page=305 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjGQDQAAQBAJ |access-date=29 February 2024}}</ref> In 1811 he was appointed [[Attorney General of Pennsylvania]]. He successfully acquitted [[William Duane (journalist)|William Duane]] in a libel suit brought forth by the Pennsylvania Governor [[Thomas McKean]]. His popularity prompted an offer to run for Congress but he declined.{{sfn|Powell|1942|pages=7-8}} In November 1811, President [[James Madison]] appointed Rush [[Comptroller of the Treasury]].<ref name=Britannica/>

From the position as Comptroller of the Treasury, albeit a subordinate position, Rush functioned as one of President Madison's closest friends and confidential advisors throughout the [[War of 1812]]. Rush was on the field of battle along with Madison during the [[Battle of Bladensburg]].<ref name=Buel/> He was one of the [[War Hawks (War of 1812)|War Hawks]] who advocated war with Britain. In 1814 Madison offered Rush the choice of [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]] or [[Attorney General of the United States]], and Rush chose Attorney General.<ref name=Buel/> With his appointment as Attorney General, Rush became the youngest person to serve in that office. Rush served as United States Attorney General from 1814 to 1817. At this time the attorney generalship was a part-time position, and so Rush also maintained his private law practice while in this office. He edited ''Laws of the United States'', which codified all the federal statutes implemented between 1789 and 1815.<ref name=encyclopedia.com>{{cite web |title=Rush, Richard |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/richard-rush |website=www.encyclopedia.com |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=28 February 2024}}</ref>

He was acting [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] briefly in 1817. During this time Rush concluded the [[Rush-Bagot Convention]], which demilitarized the Canadian boundary on the [[Great Lakes (North America)|Great Lakes]].<ref name=encyclopedia.com/>

In October 1817, Rush was appointed [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|Minister to Britain]]<ref name=DOJ>{{cite web |title=Attorney General: Richard Rush |url=https://www.justice.gov/ag/bio/rush-richard |website=www.justice.gov |date=23 October 2014 |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> to succeed [[John Quincy Adams]], who had taken the position of [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] upon his return. He remained in Britain for almost eight years, and negotiated a number of important treaties, including the [[Treaty of 1818]].<ref name=encyclopedia.com/>

In 1823, Rush negotiated with [[George Canning]] over British proposals that the two countries issue a joint declaration against French involvement in Spain's rebelling American colonies, but Britain would not agree to American demands for recognition of the newly independent republics, leading to the separate American declaration of the [[Monroe Doctrine]].<ref name=encyclopedia.com/> He wrote about his experience as Minister to Britain in ''A Residence in the Court of St. James''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Attorneys General of the United States 1789-1979 |date=1980 |publisher=United States Department of Justice |location=Washington, D.C. |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FiaIJbQEE5IC |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref>

[[File:RUSH, Richard-BEP069-Treasury (BEP engraved portrait).jpg|thumb|[[Bureau of Engraving and Printing]] portrait of Rush as Secretary of the Treasury.]]
Upon the election of John Quincy Adams in 1825, Rush (having made a study of Britain, and the British Navy in particular, while he was there) desired to become the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]]. Adams, however, immediately nominated him for the post of [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]], which he accepted.<ref name=Buel/>

In [[U.S. presidential election, 1828|1828]], he was a candidate for [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] on the re-election ticket with John Quincy Adams, but was defeated.<ref name=Buel/>

In 1829, he went overseas at the behest of the cities of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], and [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]], to secure funds for the construction of a canal connecting the [[Chesapeake Bay]] and the [[Ohio River]].{{sfn|Powell|1942|page=3}}

In 1836, President [[Andrew Jackson]] sent him to England as Commissioner to secure for the [[United States]] the legacy left the government by [[James Smithson]]. He was successful in this undertaking, bringing to this country the sum of $508,318.46, which would eventually be used to establish the [[Smithsonian Institution]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] Rush later became one of the first regents of the institution.<ref>Heather Ewing (2007). ''The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian''. Bloomsbury USA.</ref>

After a short time with the [[Anti-Masonic Party]], in the later 1830s Rush became a member of the Democratic Party.<ref>G. G. van D., "Review of Richard Rush Diplomat" in ''The English Historical Review'' vol. 61, no. 239 (Jan. 1946) p. 120</ref> He was opposed to anti-slavery sentiments because he believed they threatened the stability of the Union.<ref name=Buel/>

In 1847, Richard Rush was appointed as [[United States Ambassador to France|Minister to France]] by President [[James K. Polk]]. When his negotiations were interrupted by the overthrow of King [[Louis-Philippe of France|Louis-Philippe]], he was among the first foreign diplomats to recognize the new [[French Second Republic]].<ref name=Buel/>

===Societies===
Rush was elected a member of the [[American Antiquarian Society]] in 1814.<ref>{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistr |website=www.americanantiquarian.org |publisher=American Antiquarian Society |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> In 1817, Rush elected a member of the [[American Philosophical Society]].<ref>{{cite web |title=American Philosophical Society Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=1817&year-max=1817&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |website=search.amphilsoc.org |publisher=American Philosophical Society |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> During the 1820s, Rush was a member of the prestigious society, [[Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences]], who counted among their members former presidents [[Andrew Jackson]] and [[John Quincy Adams]] and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.<ref name="rathbun">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MY-5AAAAIAAJ&q=%22columbian+institute%22&pg=PA118 |title=The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816–1838. |first=Richard |last=Rathbun |access-date=2010-06-20|year=1904 |publisher=Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
He died in Philadelphia on July 30, 1859,<ref name=Britannica>{{cite web |title=Richard Rush |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Rush |website=www.britannica.com |publisher=Britannica |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> and was interred at [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]] in Philadelphia.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=aMiA05P92h8C&dq=richard+rush+laurel+hill&pg=PA309 ''Biographical Dictionary of the United States Secretaries of the Treasury'']</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Rush |url=https://remembermyjourney.com/memorials/richard-rush?id=JYa9RzaY |website=remembermyjourney.com |publisher=webCemeteries |access-date=6 January 2025}}</ref>

Five [[United States Coast Guard]] vessels were named in his honor:
*[[USRC Rush (1831)|USRC ''Richard Rush'']] 1831 [[Morris-Taney-class cutter|Morris-Taney class cutter]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Rush, 1831 (Richard Rush; USRCS & USLHS) |url=https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Water/All/Article/2402172/rush-1831-richard-rush-usrcs-uslhs/ |website=www.history.uscg.mil |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>
*[[USRC Richard Rush (1874)|USGC ''Richard Rush'']] 1874 Dexter-class cutter<ref>{{cite web |title=Rush (Richard Rush), 1874 |url=https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Water/All/Article/2402181/rush-richard-rush-1874/ |website=www.history.uscg.mil |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>
*[[USRC Rush (1885)|USRC ''Rush'']] 1885 [[Cutter (boat)|revenue cutter]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Rush, 1885 (Richard Rush) |url=https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Water/All/Article/2402186/rush-1885-richard-rush/ |website=www.history.uscg.mil |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>
*USS ''Rush II (WSC-151)'' 1927 cutter<ref>{{cite web |title=Rush II (WSC-151) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/rush-ii.html |website=www.history.navy.mil |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>
*[[USCGC Rush (WHEC-723)|USCGC ''Rush'' (WHEC-723)]] 1969 [[Hamilton-class cutter]]<ref>{{cite web |title=RUSH WHEC 723 |url=https://www.navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/RUSH_WHEC_723 |website=www.navalcovermuseum.org |publisher=Naval Cover Museum |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

The [[USCGC Rush (WMSM-918)|USCGC ''Rush (WMSM-918)'']] [[Heritage-class cutter]]<ref>{{cite web |title=USCGC Rush (WMSM-918) |url=https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/1772971/the-offshore-patrol-cutter-opc-is-the-coast-guards-highest-investment-priority/ |website=www.dcms.uscg.mil |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref> is under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2026.<ref>{{cite web |title=Steel cutting for fourth offshore patrol cutter begins |url=https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/3192452/steel-cutting-for-fourth-offshore-patrol-cutter-begins/ |website=www.dcms.uscg.mil |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

==Publications==
*''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Reflections%20Upon%20the%20Administration%20of%20J/2I44AQAAMAAJ Thoughts on the Administration of Justice in Pennsylvania.]'', Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, 1809
*''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Memoranda%20of%20a%20Residence%20at%20the%20Court%20of/qB5NAAAAMAAJ Memoranda of a Residence at the Court of London]'', Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1833
*''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Two%20Letters%20on%20Public%20Subjects%20from%20Rich/ag9hAAAAcAAJ Two Letters on Public Subjects.]'', Philadelphia: L.R. Bailey, Printer, 1851
*''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Washington%20in%20Domestic%20Life/dBgFAAAAYAAJ Washington in Domestic Life. From Original Letters and Manuscripts.]'', Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1857

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Sources'''
* {{cite book
| last = Powell
| first = J.H.
| year = 1942
| title = Richard Rush Republican Diplomat 1780-1859
| publisher = University of Pennsylvania Press
| isbn = 9781512805819
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2VErEAAAQBAJ
}}

==External links==
{{AmCyc Poster|Rush, Benjamin|Richard Rush}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=4136| name=Richard Rush}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Richard Rush}}
* {{Find a Grave|22740}}
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{{Unsuccessful major party VPOTUS candidates}}
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{{1828 United States presidential election}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Richard}}
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1820 United States vice-presidential candidates]]
[[Category:1828 United States vice-presidential candidates]]
[[Category:1859 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century American diplomats]]
[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:Acting United States secretaries of state]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to France]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1832 United States presidential election]]
[[Category:Comptrollers of the United States Treasury]]
[[Category:John Quincy Adams administration cabinet members]]
[[Category:Madison administration cabinet members]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]
[[Category:Monroe administration cabinet members]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania attorneys general]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democrats]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania lawyers]]
[[Category:Politicians from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Princeton University alumni]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Federalists]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania National Republicans]]
[[Category:Smithsonian Institution people]]
[[Category:Stockton family (New Jersey)]]
[[Category:Attorneys general of the United States]]
[[Category:United States secretaries of the treasury]]

James Brown (Louisiana politician)

2025-09-08T00:32:01Z

2601:156:8400:A040:1DFF:B415:91A2:B800:

{{Short description|American lawyer, planter, diplomat and politician (1766–1835)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = James Brown
| image = Senator James Brown of Louisiana (1766-1835).jpg
| office = 12th [[United States Ambassador to France|United States Minister to France]]
| appointer = [[James Monroe]]
| term_start = April 13, 1824
| term_end = June 28, 1829
| predecessor = [[Albert Gallatin]]
| successor = [[William Cabell Rives]]
| office1 = [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Louisiana]]
| term_start1 = February 5, 1813
| term_end1 = March 3, 1817
| predecessor1 = [[Thomas Posey]]
| successor1 = [[William C. C. Claiborne]]
| term_start2 = March 4, 1819
| term_end2 = December 10, 1823
| predecessor2 = [[Eligius Fromentin]]
| successor2 = [[Josiah S. Johnston]]
| order3 = 1st
| office3 = Secretary of State of Kentucky
| term_start3 = June 5, 1792
| term_end3 = October 13, 1796
| governor3 = [[Isaac Shelby]]
| predecessor3 = New office
| successor3 = [[Harry Toulmin (Unitarian minister)|Harry Toulmin]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1766|9|11}}
| birth_place = [[Staunton, Virginia]], US
| death_date = {{death date and age|1835|4|7|1766|9|11}}
| death_place = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, US
| alma_mater = [[Washington and Lee University]] [[College of William & Mary]]
| party = [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]]
| spouse = Ann "Nancy" Hart
}}
'''James Brown''' (September 11, 1766{{spaced ndash}}April 7, 1835) was an American lawyer, planter, diplomat and politician who served as a Secretary of State for the new state of [[Kentucky]], and later as [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] from [[Louisiana]], and [[United States Ambassador to France|Minister to France]] (1823–1829) before his retirement and death in Philadelphia.

==Early and family life==
Born near [[Staunton, Virginia]], to John Brown and his wife, young James Brown had brothers [[John Brown (Kentucky politician, born 1757)|John]] and Samuel Brown and sisters Mary and Elizabeth who either survived him or had children who survived him, unlike his brother Preston. His brother [[John Brown (Kentucky politician, born 1757)|John Brown]] became the U.S. Senator from Kentucky and active in its gaining statehood. Well-connected among the southern elite, they were also cousins of [[John Breckinridge (1760-1806)|John Breckinridge]], [[James Breckinridge]] and [[Francis Preston]].

James Brown attended Washington College (later [[Washington and Lee University]]) in [[Lexington, Virginia]], and the [[College of William & Mary]] in [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]]. James Brown [[Reading law|read law]], was admitted to the Virginia bar, and commenced [[Practice of law|practice]] in [[Frankfort, Kentucky]], then still part of Virginia.

He married Ann "Nancy" Hart, one of seven children of Revolutionary War veteran and successful businessman Col. Thomas Hart, who moved from North Carolina to Maryland and finally [[Lexington, Kentucky]]. Her sister Lucretia married [[Henry Clay]], who became U.S. Senator from Kentucky. Her brother [[Nathaniel G. S. Hart]] died in the [[War of 1812]]. They did not have any children who survived them. James Brown was the uncle of [[James Brown Clay]], [[Henry Clay, Jr.]], [[John Morrison Clay]], the great-uncle of [[B. Gratz Brown]], and the cousin-in-law of [[Thomas Hart Benton (senator)|Thomas Hart Benton]].

==Career==
James Brown commanded a company of Virginia sharpshooters in an expedition against the [[Native Americans in the United States|Indians]] in 1789. He served as secretary to [[Isaac Shelby]], the first [[governor of Kentucky]], in 1792. On June 5, 1792, Shelby nominated Brown as [[Secretary of State of Kentucky|Secretary of State]]; he was confirmed by the [[Kentucky Senate|state senate]] and served until October 13, 1796.<ref name=kysos>"Secretary of State James Brown". Kentucky Secretary of State</ref>

Soon after the United States made the [[Louisiana Purchase]], Brown moved to [[New Orleans]], where he was appointed in 1804 as secretary of the [[Territory of Orleans]]. He served from October 1 to December 11 of that year, when he was appointed as U.S. [[List of Attorneys General of Louisiana|Attorney-General for the Territory]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CxO3RcGScEUC&pg=PA22|title = French and Spanish Records of Louisiana: A Bibliographical Guide to Archive and Manuscript Sources|isbn = 9780807127933|last1 = Beers|first1 = Henry Putney|date = March 2002| publisher=LSU Press }}</ref>

Brown became one of the wealthiest planters and [[History of slavery in Louisiana|slave owners]] on the [[German Coast]]. His extensive [[Plantations in the American South|plantation]] produced sugar through the use of slave labor.

In January 1811, some slaves from James Brown's plantations (some of them jointly owned by his nephew James Humphreys) joined in the [[1811 German Coast uprising]]. One was the African-born warrior Kook, who became one of the insurrection's leaders. It was the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history, but was soon suppressed. The insurgents killed only two white men, but between the one battle, subsequent [[summary execution]]s by militia members, and executions after tribunals of slaveowners, ninety-five black men died. Some of the men were from [[Saint-Domingue]], brought to [[Louisiana (New Spain)|Spanish Louisiana]] several years earlier by white [[French people|French]] refugees, as well as by refugee ''[[gens de couleur]]'' (free people of colour), who fled the violence and expropriations of the [[Haitian Revolution]]. Others were slaves imported directly from Africa.

Brown was elected as a Democratic Republican to the [[United States Senate]] on December 1, 1812, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [[Jean Noël Destréhan]], whose slaves were also involved in the quashed uprising. Brown served in the U.S. Senate from February 5, 1813, until March 3, 1817. The Louisiana legislature refused to reelect him, but in 1819 he was elected again to the U.S. Senate as a Democratic-Republican aligned with Southern Jeffersonians. During the Missouri Crisis, he favored the unrestricted expansion of slavery west of the Mississippi River. He served from March 4, 1819, until December 10, 1823, when he resigned. During his tenure, Brown was the chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations (Sixteenth Congress).

With the consent of the Senate, the President appointed Brown U.S. Minister to [[France]], and he served 1823–1829. Returning to the U.S., he settled in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. He agreed to support a [[Quaker]] appeal for funds to aid an American free black settlement in [[Ontario]], Canada, known as the [[Wilberforce Colony]]. It had been started by free blacks from [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], who emigrated to Canada in reaction to discriminatory laws and especially a highly destructive riot against them in 1829.

Brown was elected a member of the [[American Antiquarian Society]]<ref>[http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlist American Antiquarian Society Members Directory]</ref> in 1814 and the [[American Philosophical Society]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=1827&year-max=1827&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-04-07|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref> in 1827.

==Death and legacy==
Brown survived his wife Nancy, as well as a Philadelphia cholera outbreak in 1831, but died in Philadelphia in 1835. After a service at its [[St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (Philadelphia)|St. Stephen's Church]],<ref>church records on ancestry.com</ref> he was buried in the vault of nearby [[Christ Church, Philadelphia]].

Brown is remembered as one of the drafters of the first [[Louisiana Civil Code]] of 1808, a work undertaken together with [[Louis Moreau-Lislet]] and [[Edward Livingston]].

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite web |title=Secretary of State James Brown |publisher=Kentucky Secretary of State |url=http://apps.sos.ky.gov/secdesk/sosinfo/default.aspx?id=01 |access-date=2011-05-09 |archive-date=2010-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104000226/http://apps.sos.ky.gov/secdesk/sosinfo/default.aspx?id=01 |url-status=dead }}

{{Bioguide}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |last=Hardin |first=Bayless |title=The Brown Family of Liberty Hall |journal=Filson Club History Quarterly |volume=16 |issue=2 |date=April 1942 |url=http://connect1.ajaxdocumentviewer.com/viewerajax.php?Sv6GqNr5b%2BfIZQlGJtGbbbQQ30xIGSqwrXhZx%2FuMxvrOXGPnid%2BY%2BE205l1M4MwfWRXCCWoJcazVVeTWy901QWRTWNPjqwq%2BBb2h%2BNqhaNtlcojFIHI6hWnSSmRZQFRXoztEZZhwXXQPuLfMW1vd7LLN2sRy07WSAiaFSVMo2d1k1rG7FrP2PYz2auuy48Xw%2FT6TQgi4QIsWEuE2HeymPtLX4prFJXc0w9AAcAC67Ay%2FgZlisWqkCFaJXTCIFlh3BHTd7Y1BhRAFqSujI4zCjwHSZB%2FWkxE0Khz2plyvUGhl84JdV%2F%2BowTxlsE1vcqV52tfyHA6GeyLNjTJ%2FqRqG6EgEYtgoIEG%2B0bwiilV6GvV3z6xaHNdf55EnrwRpEJXG2xjDtoVIkSjuhgGmFE6F150Fk3hVoI4OSn%2FnLe0%2FDL0%3D |access-date=2011-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502210515/http://connect1.ajaxdocumentviewer.com/viewerajax.php?Sv6GqNr5b+fIZQlGJtGbbbQQ30xIGSqwrXhZx%2FuMxvrOXGPnid+Y+E205l1M4MwfWRXCCWoJcazVVeTWy901QWRTWNPjqwq+Bb2h+NqhaNtlcojFIHI6hWnSSmRZQFRXoztEZZhwXXQPuLfMW1vd7LLN2sRy07WSAiaFSVMo2d1k1rG7FrP2PYz2auuy48Xw%2FT6TQgi4QIsWEuE2HeymPtLX4prFJXc0w9AAcAC67Ay%2FgZlisWqkCFaJXTCIFlh3BHTd7Y1BhRAFqSujI4zCjwHSZB%2FWkxE0Khz2plyvUGhl84JdV%2F+owTxlsE1vcqV52tfyHA6GeyLNjTJ%2FqRqG6EgEYtgoIEG+0bwiilV6GvV3z6xaHNdf55EnrwRpEJXG2xjDtoVIkSjuhgGmFE6F150Fk3hVoI4OSn%2FnLe0%2FDL0= |archive-date=2012-05-02 }}

==External links==
{{CongBio|B000921}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
| state=Louisiana
| class=2
| before=[[Thomas Posey]]
| after=[[William C.C. Claiborne]]
| alongside=[[Allan B. Magruder]], [[Eligius Fromentin]]
| years=1813–1817}}
{{U.S. Senator box
| state=Louisiana
| class=3
| before=[[Eligius Fromentin]]
| after=[[Josiah S. Johnston]]
| alongside=[[Henry Johnson (Louisiana)|Henry Johnson]]
| years=1819–1823}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box|title=[[United States Ambassador to France|United States Minister to France]]|before=[[Albert Gallatin]]|after=[[William C. Rives]]|years=1824–1829}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=established}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Secretary of State of Kentucky]]|years=1792–1796}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Harry Toulmin (Unitarian minister)|Harry Toulmin]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{USSenLA}}
{{SenForeignRelationsCommitteeChairmen}}
{{US Ambassadors to France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, James}}
[[Category:1766 births]]
[[Category:1835 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Staunton, Virginia]]
[[Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent]]
[[Category:Democratic-Republican Party United States senators from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to France]]
[[Category:Secretaries of state of Kentucky]]
[[Category:19th-century American diplomats]]
[[Category:18th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:United States senators who owned slaves]]
[[Category:Kentucky lawyers]]
[[Category:Louisiana lawyers]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]
[[Category:American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law]]
[[Category:Washington and Lee University alumni]]
[[Category:College of William & Mary alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]