James Wilson
| James Wilson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
|
In office September 29, 1789 – August 21, 1798 |
|
| Nominated by | George Washington |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Bushrod Washington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 14, 1742 Carskerdo, Scotland, UK (now Ceres) |
| Died | August 21, 1798 (aged 55) Edenton, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Bird (1771–1786) Hannah Gray (1793–1798) |
| Education |
University of St Andrews University of Glasgow University of Edinburgh |
| Signature |  |
James Wilson (September 14, 1742 – August 21, 1798) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. Wilson was elected twice to the Continental Congress, where he represented Pennsylvania, and was a major force in drafting the United States Constitution. A leading legal theorist, he was one of the six original justices appointed by George Washington to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Wilson was one of seven children born into a Presbyterian farming family on September 14, 1742 near St. Andrews, Scotland, to William Wilson and Alison Landall. He studied at the Universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh, but never obtained a degree. While he was a student, he studied Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, including Francis Hutcheson, David Hume and Adam Smith. Imbued with the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in British America in 1766, carrying valuable letters of introduction. These helped Wilson to begin tutoring and then teaching at The Academy and College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania). He petitioned there for a degree and was awarded an honorary Master of Arts several months later.
...
Wikipedia