Richard Rush
Richard Rush | |
---|---|
William Wirt | |
Attorney General of Pennsylvania | |
In office January 26, 1811 – December 13, 1811 | |
Governor | Simon Snyder |
Preceded by | Joseph Reed |
Succeeded by | Jared Ingersoll |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, British America | August 29, 1780
Died | July 30, 1859 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 78)
Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Federalist (before 1830) National Republican (1830–1834) Democratic (1834–1859) |
Spouse | Catherine Rush |
Children | Benjamin Rush Richard H. Rush |
Relatives | Benjamin Rush (father) James Rush (brother) |
Education | College of New Jersey (BA) (renamed Princeton) |
Signature | |
Richard Rush (August 29, 1780 – July 30, 1859) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the 8th
He served as
Rush served as the
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 and Annis Boudinot Stockton.[1] 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 and was admitted to the bar in 1800.[2]
Rush married Catherine Eliza Murray on the fall of 1809.[3] They were the parents of eleven children including the lawyer and writer Benjamin Rush and Union Army colonel Richard H. Rush.[4]
Career
As a lawyer, Rush first gained attention with a speech he gave which condemned the British naval attack during the
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
He was acting
In October 1817, Rush was appointed
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.[8] He wrote about his experience as Minister to Britain in A Residence in the Court of St. James.[10]
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 Secretary of the Navy. Adams, however, immediately nominated him for the post of 8th Secretary of the Treasury, which he accepted.[5]
In
In 1829, he went overseas at the behest of the cities of Alexandria, Virginia, and Georgetown, to secure funds for the construction of a canal connecting the Chesapeake Bay and the Ohio River.[11]
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.[12]
After a short time with the Anti-Masonic Party, in the later 1830s Rush became a member of the Democratic Party.[13] He was opposed to anti-slavery sentiments because he believed they threatened the stability of the Union.[5]
In 1847, Richard Rush was appointed as
Societies
Rush was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1814.[14] In 1817, Rush elected a member of the American Philosophical Society.[15] 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.[16]
Death and legacy
He died in Philadelphia on July 30, 1859,[7] and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.[17][18]
Five United States Coast Guard vessels were named in his honor:
- USRC Richard Rush 1831 Morris-Taney class cutter[19]
- USGC Richard Rush 1874 Dexter-class cutter[20]
- USRC Rush 1885 revenue cutter,[21]
- USS Rush II (WSC-151) 1927 cutter[22]
- USCGC Rush (WHEC-723) 1969 Hamilton-class cutter[23]
The USCGC Rush (WMSM-918) Heritage-class cutter[24] is under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2026.[25]
Publications
- Thoughts on the Administration of Justice in Pennsylvania., Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, 1809
- Memoranda of a Residence at the Court of London, Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1833
- Two Letters on Public Subjects., Philadelphia: L.R. Bailey, Printer, 1851
- Washington in Domestic Life. From Original Letters and Manuscripts., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1857
References
Citations
- ^ Powell 1942, p. 5.
- ^ Powell 1942, p. 6.
- ^ Powell 1942, p. 8.
- ^ "Richard Rush papers, 1812-1856". findiingaids.lib.umich.edu. University of Michigan Library. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ ISBN 9781442262980. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ Powell 1942, pp. 7–8.
- ^ a b "Richard Rush". www.britannica.com. Britannica. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Rush, Richard". www.encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Attorney General: Richard Rush". www.justice.gov. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Attorneys General of the United States 1789-1979. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. 1980. p. 16. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Powell 1942, p. 3.
- ^ Heather Ewing (2007). The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian. Bloomsbury USA.
- ^ G. G. van D., "Review of Richard Rush Diplomat" in The English Historical Review vol. 61, no. 239 (Jan. 1946) p. 120
- ^ "Members". www.americanantiquarian.org. American Antiquarian Society. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ "American Philosophical Society Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. American Philosophical Society. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Rathbun, Richard (1904). The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816–1838. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ "Richard Rush". www.remembermyjourney.com. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Biographical Dictionary of the United States Secretaries of the Treasury
- ^ "Rush, 1831 (Richard Rush; USRCS & USLHS)". www.history.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Rush (Richard Rush), 1874". www.history.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Rush, 1885 (Richard Rush)". www.history.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Rush II (WSC-151)". www.history.navy.mil. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "RUSH WHEC 723". www.navalcovermuseum.org. Naval Cover Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "USCGC Rush (WMSM-918)". www.dcms.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Steel cutting for fourth offshore patrol cutter begins". www.dcms.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
Sources
- Powell, J.H. (1942). Richard Rush Republican Diplomat 1780-1859. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9781512805819.