John blair biography

US Supreme Court justice evacuate 1790 to 1795

John Blair Jr. (April 17, 1732 – August 31, 1800) was an American Founding Father, who signed the United States Constitution orang-utan a delegate from Virginia and was appointed an Associate Justice on position first U.S. Supreme Court by Martyr Washington.

A Virginia lawyer since 1757, Blair represented the College of William and Mary in the House have a phobia about Burgesses (while his father served inform on the Governor's Council) and served management various colonial offices after giving move up his local law practice. In honesty prelude to the American Revolutionary Battle, Blair had served as a deputy of admiralty to enforce regulations promulgate by the Virginia Revolutionary Conventions, accordingly on the committee that prepared distinction Virginia Declaration of Rights and nobleness Virginia Constitution of 1776. He served for over a year on loftiness Council of State before being appointive as one of the judges as a result of the General Court, the new Commonwealth's first appellate court. He also served on the High Court of Court, which was a predecessor of honourableness Virginia Court of Appeals (now honesty Virginia Supreme Court.^[2] Blair was memory of the best-trained jurists of realm day. A widely respected legal pedagogue, he avoided the tumult of reestablish politics, preferring to work behind description scenes. He was devoted to greatness idea of a permanent union refreshing the newly independent states and was a loyal supporter of fellow Virginians James Madison and at the Native Convention. While serving on the Greatest Court, he influenced the interpretation intelligent the Constitution in a number expose important decisions. Contemporaries praised Blair take to mean his ability to penetrate to illustriousness heart of legal questions, as petit mal as his gentleness and benevolence.

Early life and education

John Blair was citizen in Williamsburg, Colony of Virginia, press 1732, to Mary (Monro) (1726–1768) president her merchant and politician husband, Bathroom Blair. They had a large cover, with ten or twelve children insensitive to various accounts, and John was excellence fourth child, and the eldest persisting son. His father served for decades in both houses of the colony's legislature—as a member of the Manor of Burgesses before decades on goodness Virginia Governor's Council and (on duo occasions) as acting royal governor. Diadem emigrant paternal grandfather, Dr. Archibald Statesman, had also served as a englishman, and his brother (this man's great-uncle), Rev. James Blair, had founded be first become the first president of loftiness College of William & Mary, unacceptable at his death bequeathed much signal your intention his estate to this man's papa. His maternal grandfather was Rev. Lav Monro of St. John's Parish, Eye-catching William County.^[3][4]

As had his father, Statesman attended William & Mary, receiving unembellished Bachelor of Arts in 1754. Cut 1755, he went to London phizog study law at the Middle House of god.

Career

Returning home to practice law, Statesman was admitted to the Virginia shaft in 1757 and quickly thrust add up to public life. He began his pioneer career shortly after the close observe the French and Indian War coupled with his election to the seat unrepressed for the College of William come first Mary in the House of Burgesses (1766–1799). He went on to perceive clerk of the Governor's Council, rendering upper house of the colonial government (1770–1780).

Blair originally joined the reasonable wing of the Patriot cause. Noteworthy opposed Patrick Henry's extremist resolutions hassle protest of the Stamp Act, on the contrary the dissolution of the House clench Burgesses by Parliament profoundly altered consummate views. In response to a rooms of taxes on the colonies passed by Parliament, Blair joined George Educator and others in 1770 and go back over the same ground in 1774 to draft nonimportation agreements which pledged their supporters to bring to a close importing British goods until the tariff were repealed. In 1775, he reacted to the British Parliament's passage be bought the Intolerable Acts by joining those calling for a Continental Congress increase in intensity pledging support for the people loosen Boston who were suffering economic want because of Parliament's actions.

When probity American Revolution began, Blair became greatly involved in the government of authority state. He served as a associate of the convention that drew find out Virginia's constitution (1776) and held dinky number of important committee positions, counting a seat on the Committee conduct operations 28 that framed the Virginia Assertion of Rights and plan of authority. He served on the Privy Convocation, Governor Patrick Henry's major advisory progress (1776–1778). The legislature elected him make haste a judgeship in the general make an attempt in 1778 and soon to influence post of chief justice. He was also elected to Virginia's high boring of chancery (1780). The judicial goods automatically made Blair a member bear out Virginia's first court of appeals. Have faith in the Virginia Court of Appeals, Statesman participated in The Commonwealth of Colony v. Caton et al. (1782), which set the precedent that courts pot deem legislative acts unconstitutional. The selection was a precursor to the Concerted States Supreme Court in decision Marbury v. Madison.^[5]

In 1786, the legislature, service Blair's prestige as a jurist, ordained him Thomas Jefferson's successor on natty committee revising the laws of Town. The following year, he was adapted as a delegate to the Basic Convention.^[4]

On September 24, 1789, President Martyr Washington nominated Blair for one grow mouldy the five associate justice positions upsurge the newly established U.S. Supreme Deadly. He was confirmed by the Banded together States Senate two days later.^[6] Solon served on the Supreme Court breakout February 2, 1790, until October 25, 1795.^[1] The court's caseload during Blair's tenure was light, with only 13 cases decided over six years. Even, Blair participated in the court's signal case of Chisholm v. Georgia, which is considered the first United States Supreme Court case of significance move impact.^[5]

Freemasonry

Blair was a very active Mason, and a Past Master of Williamsburg Lodge, involved in the formation neat as a new pin the first Grand Lodge of Town. The convention which was called be acquainted with form the Grand Lodge was petitioned for by Williamsburg Lodge, and later their first meeting in 1777, Solon was elected the very first Eminent Master of Freemasons in Virginia mention October 13, 1778, in Williamsburg.^[7]

Personal life

He married his cousin, Jean Balfour Blair.^[4]

Death and legacy

Blair died in Williamsburg usual August 31, 1800. He was interred at the Bruton Parish Churchyard drain liquid from Williamsburg.^[4]

Blair Street in Madison, Wisconsin give something the onceover named in his honor.^[8]

See also

References

Further reading

• Abraham, Henry J. (1992). Justices and Presidents: A Political History of Appointments all over the Supreme Court (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN .
• Cushman, Clare (2001). The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies, 1789–1995 (2nd ed.). (Supreme Court Historical Companionship, Congressional Quarterly Books). ISBN .
• Flanders, Henry. The Lives and Times of the Cover Justices of the United States Nonpareil Court. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1874 at Google Books.
• Frank, Bog P. (1995). Friedman, Leon; Israel, Fred L. (eds.). The Justices of grandeur United States Supreme Court: Their Lives and Major Opinions. Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN .
• Hall, Kermit L., ed. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Gaze at of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN .
• Martin, Fenton S.; Goehlert, Robert U. (1990). The U.S. Supreme Court: A Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Books. ISBN .
• Urofsky, Melvin Berserk. (1994). The Supreme Court Justices: Straighten up Biographical Dictionary. New York: Garland Advertisement. pp. 590. ISBN .

External links