William Jackson (Secretary)

William Jackson

William Jackson (born March 9, 1759 in Cumbria , England , † December 17, 1828 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was an American lawyer . He was secretary to the Philadelphia Convention , which drafted the United States Constitution. Later he was one of the private secretaries to President George Washington .

Career

After the death of his parents, William Jackson moved from his English homeland to the then British colony of South Carolina . In the 1770s he joined the revolutionary movement. He served in the state militia and then in the Continental Army during the War of Independence . He took part in several campaigns and battles in the southern states and in the meantime fell into British captivity and was released again through a prisoner exchange. He was then a member of General Washington's staff. After the war he studied law. In 1788 he was admitted to the bar.

While still a student, he applied for the position of secretary to the Philadelphia Constituent Assembly. On the recommendation of Alexander Hamilton he was finally given this office. In this capacity he signed the constitution as a notifier. He then took the document to New York City , where the Congress of the Confederation met. There he read the constitutional text to the delegates. Between 1789 and 1791 he served as the private secretary to President Washington. Then he worked as a lawyer for some time. He was then appointed head of taxation in the Port of Philadelphia. He held this office until 1801, at which time he was dismissed by the new President Thomas Jefferson . From 1799 he was also general secretary of the Society of the Cincinnati . He held this position until his death. Until 1815 he also published the newspaper Political and Commercial Register , which was affiliated with the Federalist Party . William Jackson died in Philadelphia on December 17, 1828.

Web links

• William Jackson in the database of Find a Grave (English)