Isabella Carter
Rufus King (1755-1827) was a Founding Father of the United States, a lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where he was one of the signers of the United States Constitution. King played a significant role in the creation of the Constitution, and his expertise in matters of finance, foreign relations, and law impressed his congressional colleagues. After the formation of the new Congress, he represented New York in the United States Senate and became a recognized Federalist leader.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Rufus King |
| Birth | March 24, 1755 |
| Death | April 29, 1827 |
| Profession | American Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat |
| Signatory of the US Constitution | Yes |
| Year of signing the US Constitution | 1787 |
| Role in the US Senate | Senator from New York and the last framer of the Constitution |
| Political Party | Federalist Party |
| Presidential Candidate | Yes, in 1816 |
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What You'll Learn
Rufus King was a signer of the US Constitution
Rufus King was a Founding Father of the United States and a signer of the US Constitution. Born in 1755 in Massachusetts, he studied law and served in the Massachusetts militia during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he was elected to the Massachusetts General Court in 1783 and to the Congress of the Confederation the following year.
In 1787, King was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Despite his youth, he was a prominent delegate due to his eloquence and great parliamentary talents. He played a major role in the crafting of the Constitution, serving on the Committee of Style and Arrangement, which prepared the final draft of the document. He was also an advocate for a strong central government, and his views underwent a transformation during the debates at the Convention.
After the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, King returned home to work on getting it ratified by the states. He was successful in Massachusetts, which became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution in early 1788. King then represented New York in the United States Senate and became a leading member of the Federalist Party. He served as an ambassador to Great Britain and ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 1804 and 1808 and for president in 1816.
King was the last framer of the Constitution to serve in the Senate, and his experience as a framer informed his efforts to implement the Constitution as a member of Congress. He specialized in matters of finance, foreign relations, maritime law, commerce, and public lands, and his expertise was widely respected by his colleagues. Rufus King died in 1827, leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in the creation and implementation of the US Constitution.
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He was a delegate from Massachusetts
Rufus King (1755-1827) was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention. He was a prominent delegate and played a major role in the crafting of the United States Constitution, which he signed in 1787.
King was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat from Massachusetts. He was considered a "man much distinguished for his eloquence and great parliamentary talents" by fellow delegate William Pierce of Georgia. King's skill as an orator and his impressive legal and political experience made him a key figure at the Constitutional Convention, despite his youthful age of 32. He was an eloquent advocate of a strong central government and played a significant role in shaping the nationalist causes of the Constitution.
King's involvement in the Continental Congress began in 1784, and he quickly proved his value. In 1787, he introduced a resolution calling for a convention in Philadelphia to draft a new Constitution. This proposal led to the Constitutional Convention, where he served on the Committee on Postponed Matters and the Committee of Style and Arrangement. King worked closely with Chairman William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and Alexander Hamilton on the Committee of Style and Arrangement to prepare the final draft of the U.S. Constitution.
After signing the Constitution, King returned to Massachusetts and worked to get it ratified. Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution in early February 1788. King's efforts in the ratification process and his contribution to the acceptance of the Constitution in Massachusetts are notable aspects of his legacy.
In addition to his role as a delegate from Massachusetts, King went on to represent New York in the United States Senate after the formation of the new Congress. He became a leading member of the Federalist Party and was the party's last presidential nominee during the 1816 presidential election. King's expertise in matters of finance, foreign relations, maritime law, commerce, and public lands was widely respected by his Senate colleagues. He served in the Senate for nearly 19 years, specializing in various areas and applying his knowledge and experience to committee work and debates.
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King was a prominent nationalist
Rufus King (1755-1827) was a prominent nationalist. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where he emerged as a leading nationalist and called for increased powers for the federal government. King played a major role in the crafting of the governing character of the United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787. He was one of the youngest delegates at the convention, but he still held a significant position due to his oratory skills and parliamentary talents.
King served on the Committee on Postponed Matters and the Committee of Style and Arrangement, working with Chairman William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and Alexander Hamilton to prepare the final draft of the Constitution. As a nationalist, he advocated for a strong central government and contributed to the acceptance and ratification of the Constitution in Massachusetts.
After the Constitution was signed, King continued to play a role in politics as a senator and diplomat. He represented New York in the United States Senate and became a recognized Federalist leader in Congress. He also served as the ambassador to Great Britain for eight years (1796-1803) and again in 1825-26. King was the last framer of the Constitution to serve in the Senate, specializing in matters of finance, foreign relations, maritime law, commerce, and public lands.
King's nationalist sentiments were also reflected in his efforts to prohibit slavery in the Northwest Territory. In 1785, he introduced a resolution in the Continental Congress, which was included in the Ordinance of 1787, permanently prohibiting slavery in that region.
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He was a member of the Federalist Party
Rufus King was a member of the Federalist Party. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution in 1787.
King played a major role in the crafting of the fundamental governing character of the Constitution. He was a leading nationalist and called for increased powers for the federal government. He served on the Committee on Postponed Matters and the Committee of Style and Arrangement, working with Chairman William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and Alexander Hamilton to prepare a final draft of the U.S. Constitution.
After the Constitution was signed, King returned home to work on getting it ratified. He was successful in this effort, and Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution in early February 1788. King then continued his career in politics, serving in the state legislature and the Continental Congress. He introduced a resolution in 1785 that would prohibit slavery in the Northwest Territory, a provision included permanently in the Ordinance of 1787.
In 1788, King moved to New York, where he was elected to the state assembly and later became one of its first U.S. senators in 1789. He became a recognized Federalist leader in Congress and represented the nation as an ambassador to Great Britain for eight years (1796-1803) and again in 1825-26. During the period of Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party domination, King served once more in the Senate (1813-1825) but received only a modest proportion of electoral votes for the nation's highest offices.
King was an active Federalist senator and diplomat, specializing in matters of finance and foreign relations, as well as maritime law, commerce, and public lands. He ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 1804 and 1808 and for president in 1816, the Federalist Party's last presidential nominee.
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King was a framer of the Constitution
Rufus King was a framer of the Constitution. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution in 1787. He was also a leading nationalist and called for increased powers for the federal government.
King was just 32 years old when he attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, but he was already considered a "man much distinguished for his eloquence and great parliamentary talents," and "ranked among the luminaries of the present age." He was a trained lawyer and had previously served in the Massachusetts state assembly before becoming a delegate.
At the Constitutional Convention, King played a major role in the crafting of the governing character of the Constitution. He was a member of the Committee of Style and Arrangement, which was responsible for preparing the final draft of the U.S. Constitution. He also served on the Committee on Postponed Matters. King's skills as an orator and his parliamentary talents were put to good use during the debates at the convention, and he worked alongside other prominent figures such as James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and Alexander Hamilton.
After the Constitution was signed, King returned to Massachusetts and worked to get it ratified. He was successful in this endeavor, and Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution in early February 1788. King's experience as a framer of the Constitution informed his later efforts to implement it as a member of Congress. He went on to serve in the Senate and became a recognized Federalist leader, specializing in matters of finance, foreign relations, maritime law, commerce, and public lands.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Rufus King was one of the signers of the United States Constitution in 1787.
Rufus King was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. He was a leading nationalist and advocated for increased powers for the federal government. He was also a member of the Committee of Style and Arrangement, which prepared the final draft of the U.S. Constitution.
After signing the Constitution, Rufus King returned home and worked to get it ratified by the states. He also unsuccessfully positioned himself to be named to the U.S. Senate. Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution in early February 1788.
Rufus King was a Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He served in the Continental Congress and the Senate, and was the last framer of the Constitution still serving in the Senate. He was also an active Federalist and the party's presidential nominee in the 1816 election.
