John Rutledge

John Rutledge
The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States (Artist: Robert Hinckley (after John Trumbull))
Media Items
Personal Information
Born: 
Friday, September 4, 1739
Died: 
Friday, July 18, 1800
Childhood Location: 
South Carolina
Childhood Surroundings: 
South Carolina
Position: 
Associate Justice
Seat: 
2
Nominated By: 
Washington
Commissioned on: 
Friday, September 25, 1789
Sworn In: 
Sunday, February 14, 1790
Left Office: 
Friday, March 4, 1791
Reason For Leaving: 
Resigned
Home: 
South Carolina
Position: 
Chief Justice
Seat: 
1
Commissioned on: 
Tuesday, June 30, 1795
Sworn In: 
Tuesday, August 11, 1795
Left Office: 
Monday, December 14, 1795
Reason For Leaving: 
Rejected
Home: 
South Carolina

Cite this page
The Oyez Project, Justice John Rutledge
available at: (http://oyez.org/justices/john_rutledge)
Birth Place: 
South Carolina
Biography: 

John Rutledge of South Carolina was a leader in the colony's move to rebellion and later a key political leader. He chaired his state's delegation to the Constitutional Convention in Philadephia in 1787 where he defended states' rights and slaveholding interests.

President George Washington appointed Rutledge as one of the original associate justices to the Supreme Court. Rutledge soon resigned without ever deciding a case and became chief justice of South Carolina. Washington sought him again; this time to be chief justice of the United States where he presided briefly over the six-man Court as an interim appointee. He spoke publicly against the Jay Treaty which aroused the ire of his fellow Federalists who controlled the Senate. They refused to confirm his appointment and he left the bench in 1795.

Baseball File: 

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