Jared Ingersoll facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jared Ingersoll
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| United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 1815–1822 |
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| President | James Madison James Monroe |
| Preceded by | Alexander Dallas |
| Succeeded by | George M. Dallas |
| Attorney General of Pennsylvania | |
| In office December 13, 1811 – December 21, 1816 |
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| Governor | Simon Snyder |
| Preceded by | Richard Rush |
| Succeeded by | Amos Ellmaker |
| In office August 20, 1791 – May 10, 1800 |
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| Governor | Thomas Mifflin Thomas McKean |
| Preceded by | William Bradford |
| Succeeded by | Joseph McKean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1749 New Haven, Connecticut, British America |
| Died | October 31, 1822 (aged 73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Education | Yale University (BA) |
Jared Ingersoll (born October 24, 1749 – died October 31, 1822) was an important American Founding Father. He was a skilled lawyer and a statesman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He helped create the United States as we know it today.
Ingersoll was a delegate to the Continental Congress. He also signed the United States Constitution. This document is the main law of the U.S. Later, he ran for Vice President in 1812 with DeWitt Clinton. However, they lost the election to James Madison and Elbridge Gerry.
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Early Life and Education
Jared Ingersoll was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, Jared Ingersoll Sr., was a British official. His father supported the British Crown, which was unpopular with many American colonists.
To avoid the growing conflict between Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, young Jared went to Europe. He lived there from 1773 to 1776. He studied law at the Middle Temple School in London. He also traveled a lot, including spending time in Paris. There, he met Benjamin Franklin, another important Founding Father.
Jared Ingersoll graduated from Yale College in 1766. He then studied law in Philadelphia. He became a lawyer in Pennsylvania in 1773.
Supporting American Independence
Even though his father supported Britain, Jared Ingersoll decided to support American independence. In 1778, he returned to Philadelphia. He quickly became a successful lawyer. He was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1781.
Ingersoll believed that the first U.S. government, under the Articles of Confederation, was too weak. He thought the country needed a stronger national government.
The Constitutional Convention
In 1787, Ingersoll was chosen as a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention. This meeting was held to fix the Articles of Confederation. At first, he wanted to just make changes to the Articles. But after many debates, he realized a completely new document was needed. He then supported the new Constitution that the convention created.
Even though he was a well-known lawyer, Ingersoll did not speak much during the Convention debates. However, he attended all the meetings.
A Career in Law and Politics
After the Constitution was created, Ingersoll focused on his legal career. He held several important positions.
- He served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General (the state's top lawyer) from 1791 to 1800. He held this job again from 1811 to 1816.
- He was also the United States Attorney for Pennsylvania. This meant he represented the U.S. government in legal cases in his state.
- He worked as the city solicitor for Philadelphia, handling legal matters for the city.
Ingersoll was a member of the Federalist Party. This party believed in a strong central government. He was upset when Thomas Jefferson, who belonged to the opposing Democratic-Republican Party, won the presidential election in 1800.
Important Court Cases
Jared Ingersoll played a key role in some of the very first cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. These cases helped define how the new government and its laws would work.
- In the case of Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), he represented the state of Georgia. The court ruled against him, saying that a state could be sued in federal court by a citizen from another state. This decision was later changed by the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution.
- He was also involved in Hylton v. United States (1796). This was the first time the Supreme Court looked at whether an act of Congress was constitutional. The court decided that the government could indeed tax carriages.
Ingersoll's work in these cases helped clarify important parts of the Constitution. He helped define the powers of federal courts and how the U.S. would deal with other countries.
Later Life and Legacy
Jared Ingersoll died in Philadelphia on October 31, 1822, at the age of 73. He was buried in the Old Pine Street Church Cemetery.
He had three sons. Two of them, Charles Jared Ingersoll and Joseph Reed Ingersoll, also became important. They both served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.
Jared Ingersoll is remembered for his contributions to the founding of the United States. A street in Madison, Wisconsin, and a Liberty ship called SS Jared Ingersoll are named after him.
See also
- In Spanish: Jared Ingersoll para niños
