Richard Rush Biography

Richard Rush served as U.S. attorney general from 1814 to 1817 under President James Monroe. An able diplomat and administrator, he served in several state and federal offices during his career. Rush also was instrumental in the establishment of the Smithsonian Institution.

Rush came from a notable family. He was born on August 29, 1780 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Dr. Benjamin Rush. The senior Rush was one of the important American intellectuals of the late eighteenth century and had signed the Declaration of Independence. Richard Rush graduated from Princeton University in 1797 and then studied law with an attorney. During this period there were no law schools to train attorneys. Instead, Rodney served an apprenticeship, performing routine clerical duties, researching the law and receiving guidance from a senior attorney. After three years of apprenticeship he was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar.

Rush practiced law, dabbled in ideas and the arts, and became interested in government service. In 1811 he served briefly as Pennsylvania attorney general, leaving the post to become comptroller of the U.S. Treasury. Though this office was important, it did not involve the creation of policy. In addition, Rush was not fascinated with numbers. Therefore, it was not surprising that Rush turned down an appointment from President Monroe to become secretary of the treasury

Rush was eager to accept an appointment as attorney general. Rush remains the youngest attorney general in U.S. history, taking office in 1814 at the age of 34. At this time in history the office of attorney general was a part time position, allowing Rush to maintain his private law practice. The office also had little power. Rush's main duty was to prepare advisory opinions for the president and Congress. The lack of responsibilities gave Rush time edit a codification of federal laws.

Rush's diplomatic abilities surfaced in 1817 when he served temporarily as secretary of state. He negotiated the Rush-Bagot Treaty with Great Britain, which essentially demilitarized the Great Lakes. Rush quickly abandoned his legal duties, resigned as attorney general, and moved to London to serve as U.S. minister to England. Between 1817 and 1825, Rush remained in London, negotiating a host of new agreements for the United States. Of particular importance was an agreement that set the 49th parallel as the boundary between the U.S. and Canada from Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains. Rush also became helped develop the Monroe Doctrine, which excluded European nations from further colonization and announced the Southern Hemisphere as within the sphere of influence of the United States.

Rush reluctantly agreed to become secretary of the treasury in 1825. In 1828 Rush ran for vice president on a ticket headed by President John Quincy Adams, but Adams lost his reelection bid. In the 1830s he returned as a private citizen to London and became involved with the funding and development of the Smithsonian Institution. However, President James Polk called him back to public service one last time in 1847, when he appointed Rush minister to France. Rush died on July 30, 1859 in Philadelphia.