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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Rufus King Biography KING,
Rufus (1755-1827). An American political leader, born March 24, 1755, at
Scarborough, Me. He graduated at Harvard in 1777, read law with Chief Justice
Theophilus Parsons, and was admitted to the bar in 1780, his studies being
interrupted for a brief period in 1778, when he served as an aid to General
Glover in the Rhode Island expedition. In 1783 he took his seat in the General
Court of Massachusetts, to which he was several times reëlected, and he became
a member of the Continental Congress in December, 1784, being reëlected in 1785
and 1786. He there introduced in March, 1785, a resolution prohibiting slavery
in the Northwest Territories. The substance of this resolution was subsequently
incorporated by his colleague, Nathan Dane, into the famous Ordinance of 1787
(q.v.). He took a prominent part in the proceedings of the Convention of 1787
which framed the Federal Constitution, and in the Massachusetts Convention
called to decide upon the adoption or rejection of that instrument he was
instrumental in securing ratification. In 1786 he married Mary Alsop, daughter
of John Alsop, and in 1788 removed to New York City, where he was elected to the
State Assembly in 1789, and in the same year was elected to the United States
Senate, where he at once took a high place as a leader of the Federalists. King
was reëlected in 1795, and in 1796 he accepted from President
Washington, who had previously offered him a place in his cabinet as
Secretary of State, the responsible post of Minister to England. He
distinguished himself highly in the diplomatic service, in which he continued
until 1803. In the year following his return he was mentioned as candidate for
the Senate, and for Governor of New York, and as the Federalist candidate for
Vice President received 14 votes. Again in 1808 he was the Federalist candidate
for the same office, receiving 47 votes. In 1813 and again in 1819 he received
the honor of an election to the United States Senate by a Legislature a majority
of which was Republican. During the war with England he did not side with the
extreme Federalists, but supported the administration in such measures as seemed
to him to be for the general good. Nevertheless, in 1816, the few Federalist
electoral votes for President were cast for him. In 1825-26 he was again
Minister to England. He died April 29, 1827. Consult C. R. King, Life
and Correspondence (6 vols., New York, 1894-1900). |