« Back to Glossary Index
Born: March 24, 1755, Scarborough, Mass.; Died: April 29, 1827, New York City. Veteran, American Revolution. Delegate to the Continental Congress. Signer of the United States Constitution. U.S. Senator, 1789-1796, 1813-1819, 1820-1825. Minister to Britain, 1796-1803, 1825-1826. Abolitionist who added provisions to the Northwest Ordinance barring slavery in the Northwest Territory. While he supported the concept of “gradual emancipation,” in 1817, he supported Senate action to abolish the domestic slave trade and, in 1819, staunchly defended an antislavery amendment to the Missouri statehood bill. King was the last Federalist Party presidential candidate to be fielded, losing to James Monroe in 1816.
« Back to Glossary Index