Richard Rush

Richard Rush
United States Minister to France
In office
July 31, 1847 – October 8, 1849
PresidentJames Polk
Zachary Taylor
Preceded byWilliam King
Succeeded byWilliam Rives
8th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office
March 7, 1825 – March 5, 1829
PresidentJohn Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Preceded byWilliam Crawford
Succeeded bySamuel Ingham
United States Minister to the United Kingdom
In office
February 12, 1818 – April 27, 1825
PresidentJames Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Preceded byJohn Quincy Adams
Succeeded byRufus King
Acting United States Secretary of State
In office
March 10, 1817 – September 22, 1817
PresidentJames Monroe
Preceded byJohn Graham (acting)
Succeeded byJohn Quincy Adams
8th United States Attorney General
In office
February 10, 1814 – November 12, 1817
PresidentJames Madison
James Monroe
Preceded byWilliam Pinkney
Succeeded byWilliam Wirt
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
In office
January 26, 1811 – December 13, 1811
GovernorSimon Snyder
Preceded byJoseph Reed
Succeeded byJared Ingersoll
Personal details
Born(1780-08-29)August 29, 1780
Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, British America
DiedJuly 30, 1859(1859-07-30) (aged 78)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting placeLaurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyFederalist (before 1830)
National Republican (1830–1834)
Democratic (1834–1859)
SpouseCatherine Rush
ChildrenBenjamin Rush
Richard H. Rush
RelativesBenjamin Rush (father)
James Rush (brother)
EducationCollege 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 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 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 Secretary of State briefly in 1817 and negotiated the Rush–Bagot Treaty, which limited naval forces on the Great Lakes.

Rush served as the 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 minister to France from 1847 to 1849. He helped establish and served on the board of regents for the Smithsonian Institution.


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