Rufus King

Rufus King (1755-1827), American political leader, whose policies resulted in the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory. King was born in Scarboro, Maine, and educated at Harvard College (now Harvard University). After studying law he was admitted to the bar in 1780, and in 1783 he became a judge in the Massachusetts General Court, to which he was reelected several times. He was a delegate (1784-87) to the Continental Congress and introduced, in 1785, a resolution prohibiting slavery in the Northwest Territory, which had been ceded to the United States by Britain three years before. The substance of King's resolution was subsequently incorporated into the Ordinance of 1787, which made slavery illegal in the Northwest Territory.

King was prominent in the proceedings of the federal Constitutional Convention in 1787, and the following year he helped procure the ratification of the Constitution by Massachusetts. In 1788 he moved to New York City and was elected to the New York State Assembly the next year. Later in 1789 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming known as an outstanding leader in the Federalist party. From 1796 to 1803 he was U.S. minister to Britain. He was twice nominated, in 1804 and 1808, by the Federalists as vice-presidential candidate, but was defeated both times. He was a U.S. senator from 1813 to 1825; in 1816 he was the unsuccessful Federalist candidate for the presidency. He later served again (1825-26) as minister to Britain.