22 Facts About Richard Rush

Richard Rush was the 8th United States Attorney General and the 8th United States Secretary of the Treasury.

Richard Rush served as John Quincy Adams's running mate on the National Republican ticket in 1828.

Richard Rush remained in that position after James Monroe took office, and he briefly served as the acting Secretary of State.

In 1825, Richard Rush accepted Adams's offer to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.

Richard Rush returned to the United States in 1849 and died in Philadelphia in 1859.

Richard Rush was the second son, and third child, of Benjamin Rush and Julia Rush, daughter of Richard Stockton and Annis Boudinot Stockton.

Richard Rush entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 14, and graduated in 1797 as the youngest member of his class.

Richard Rush was admitted to the bar in 1800, when he was barely 20 years old.

Richard Rush was one of the War Hawks who advocated war with Britain.

Richard Rush served as United States Attorney General from 1814 to 1817.

Richard Rush was acting Secretary of State from the start of James Monroe's term as president until the return of John Quincy Adams from Europe.

In October 1817, Richard Rush was appointed Minister to Britain to succeed John Quincy Adams, who had taken the position of Secretary of State upon his return.

Richard Rush became surprisingly popular in England, despite his previous anti-British record.

In 1823, Richard Rush negotiated with Britain over British proposals that the two countries issue a joint declaration against French involvement in Spain's rebelling American colonies, but Britain would not agree to American demands for recognition of the newly independent republics, leading to the separate American declaration of the Monroe Doctrine.

Richard Rush received one electoral vote as a Federalist for the office of US Vice President in the 1820 election, even though the Federalist Party nominated no candidate for US President in that election.

Richard Rush served in this position with remarkable success during the entire Adams Administration from March 7,1825 until March 5,1829.

Richard Rush was successful in this undertaking, bringing to this country the sum of $508,318.46, which would eventually be used to establish the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC Rush later became one of the first regents of the institution.

In 1847, Richard Rush was appointed as Minister to France by President James K Polk.

Richard Rush remained in France until his recall by the new Whig administration in 1849, when he returned to the land of his birth, to retire in Philadelphia.

Richard Rush died there on July 30,1859, and is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Richard Rush was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1814.

In 1817, Richard Rush elected a member of the American Philosophical Society.