Richard Rush | |
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United States Minister to France | |
In office July 31, 1847 – October 8, 1849 | |
President | James Polk Zachary Taylor |
Preceded by | William King |
Succeeded by | William Rives |
8th United States Secretary of the Treasury | |
In office March 7, 1825 – March 5, 1829 | |
President | John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson |
Preceded by | William Crawford |
Succeeded by | Samuel Ingham |
United States Minister to the United Kingdom | |
In office February 12, 1818 – April 27, 1825 | |
President | James Monroe John Quincy Adams |
Preceded by | John Quincy Adams |
Succeeded by | Rufus King |
Acting United States Secretary of State | |
In office March 10, 1817 – September 22, 1817 | |
President | James Monroe |
Preceded by | John Graham (acting) |
Succeeded by | John Quincy Adams |
8th United States Attorney General | |
In office February 10, 1814 – November 12, 1817 | |
President | James Madison James Monroe |
Preceded by | William Pinkney |
Succeeded by | 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 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.