James Ross (Pennsylvania politician)

James Ross ( * July 12, 1762 in Delta, York County, Pennsylvania, † November 27, 1847 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician ( Federalist Party), who represented the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

James Ross attended a classical language school near his home town of Delta. Then he moved to Canonsburg and taught Latin at an educational institution, which later became the Washington & Jefferson College was. He also studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1784 and began in the city of Washington to practice as a lawyer, where he specialized in land law.

From 1789 to 1790, he participated as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania. After that he was appointed by President George Washington to the negotiator for talks with the leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, where he managed to solve the problem without violent escalation. On April 1, 1794, he was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the U.S. Senator for his state after it was declared the election of his predecessor Albert Gallatin invalid. He took his seat in Congress from April 24, 1794 and there was one for the pro - Administration Group, which supported the policy of the federal government under George Washington; later formed from the Federalist Party. After winning in 1797 the scheduled election against William Irvine, Ross could remain until March 3, 1803 in the Senate, where he threw out a bill on public land and from 1801, the policy of the newly elected U.S. President Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic Republicans fought.

Ross also competed three times at the office of the Governor of Pennsylvania, but each in vain. He lost in 1799 and 1802 respectively against Thomas McKean and 1808 against Simon Snyder. After retiring from the Senate, he worked again as a lawyer and died in November 1847 at the city of Pittsburgh today to belonging Allegheny City. The Ross County in the state of Ohio and the Ross Township in Pennsylvania are named after him.