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Wilson, James
Born: 1742 AD
Died: 1798 AD, at 55 years of age.
Nationality: Scottish
Categories: Jurist, Politician
Died: 1798 AD, at 55 years of age.
Nationality: Scottish
Categories: Jurist, Politician
1742 - The American statesman and jurist James Wilson was born in or near St. Andrews, Scotland, on the 14th of September.
1757 - He matriculated at the University of St. Andrews and was subsequently a student at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
1765-1767 - He emigrated to America. Landing at New York in June, he went to Philadelphia in the following year and was instructor of Latin in the college of Philadelphia, later the university of Pennsylvania.
- He studied law in the office of John Dickinson, was admitted to the bar, removed first to Reading and soon afterward to Carlisle, and rapidly rose to prominence.
1771 - Married to Rachel Bird.
1774 - August, he published a pamphlet Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament, in which he argued that parliament had no constitutional power to legislate for the colonies; this pamphlet strongly influenced members of the Continental Congress which met in September.
1775 - Wilson was a delegate to the Pennsylvania provincial convention in January, and he sustained there the right of Massachusetts to resist the change in its charter, declaring that as the force which the British Government was exercising to compel obedience was "force unwarranted by any act of parliament, unsupported by any principle of the common law, unauthorized by any commission from the crown", resistance was justified by "both the letter and the spirit of the British constitution"; he also, by his speech, led the colonies in shifting the burden of responsibility from parliament or the king's ministers to the king himself.
- Wilson became a member of the Continental Congress.
1776 - He was appointed a member of a committee to prepare an address to the colonies, and the address was written by him.
- He was a member of the Board of War from its establishment until his retirement from Congress.
1777 - He served on a similar committee in May, and wrote the address To the Inhabitants of the United States, urging their firm support of the cause of Independence; he drafted the plan of treaty with France together with instructions for negotiating it.
- He was chairman of the Committee on Appeals, to hear and determine appeals from the courts of admiralty in the several states; and he was a member of many other important committees.
1793 - Married to Hannah Gray.
1798 - Died on August 28th.
1757 - He matriculated at the University of St. Andrews and was subsequently a student at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
1765-1767 - He emigrated to America. Landing at New York in June, he went to Philadelphia in the following year and was instructor of Latin in the college of Philadelphia, later the university of Pennsylvania.
- He studied law in the office of John Dickinson, was admitted to the bar, removed first to Reading and soon afterward to Carlisle, and rapidly rose to prominence.
1771 - Married to Rachel Bird.
1774 - August, he published a pamphlet Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament, in which he argued that parliament had no constitutional power to legislate for the colonies; this pamphlet strongly influenced members of the Continental Congress which met in September.
1775 - Wilson was a delegate to the Pennsylvania provincial convention in January, and he sustained there the right of Massachusetts to resist the change in its charter, declaring that as the force which the British Government was exercising to compel obedience was "force unwarranted by any act of parliament, unsupported by any principle of the common law, unauthorized by any commission from the crown", resistance was justified by "both the letter and the spirit of the British constitution"; he also, by his speech, led the colonies in shifting the burden of responsibility from parliament or the king's ministers to the king himself.
- Wilson became a member of the Continental Congress.
1776 - He was appointed a member of a committee to prepare an address to the colonies, and the address was written by him.
- He was a member of the Board of War from its establishment until his retirement from Congress.
1777 - He served on a similar committee in May, and wrote the address To the Inhabitants of the United States, urging their firm support of the cause of Independence; he drafted the plan of treaty with France together with instructions for negotiating it.
- He was chairman of the Committee on Appeals, to hear and determine appeals from the courts of admiralty in the several states; and he was a member of many other important committees.
1793 - Married to Hannah Gray.
1798 - Died on August 28th.
| | Page last updated: 10:42pm, 28th Mar '07 |
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Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do And Why They Do It (Basic Books Classics) by James Wilson (Paperback - Jan 29, 1991) Bureaucracy is the classic study of the way American government agencies work and how they can be made to work better. Examining a wide range of bureaucracies, including the Army, the FBI, the FCC,...  Usually ships in 24 hours |
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American Government: Institutions and Policies by James Q. Wilson and Jr., John J. DiIulio (Hardcover - Sep 13, 2005) Acclaimed for the scholarship of its prominent authors and the clarity of its narrative,American Governmentsets the standard for public policy coverage while maintaining focus on three fundamental...  Usually ships in 24 hours |
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The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America by James Wilson (Paperback - Mar 3, 2000) Native Americans continue to hold a special place in the modern imagination. Images of the Native American as "noble savage," as grunting Hollywood brute, or even as nature lover reinforce what... Usually ships in 24 hours |
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Mass Media/Mass Culture with free "Making the Grade" CD-ROM and PowerWeb Access Card by James Ross Wilson and Stan LeRoy Wilson (Paperback - Jul 21, 2000) A great text book about mass media and how it affects our everyday culture. Ideal for a communication major in college or someone interested this field...  Usually ships in 24 hours |
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American Government AP Version 9th Edition by James Q. Wilson and John J. Dilulio (Hardcover - Mar 12, 2003) |
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