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Alexander James DallasAmerican statesman
Date of Birth: 21.06.1759
Country:  USA |
Content:
Alexander James Dallas: A Biography
Alexander James Dallas was an American statesman who served as the 6th Secretary of the Treasury of the United States under President James Madison from October 6, 1814, to October 21, 1816. He was born on June 21, 1759, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Scottish physician Robert Charles Dallas and Sarah Elizabeth Hewitt.
Early Life and Education
At the age of five, Alexander's family moved to Edinburgh and later to London. He was educated by Scottish teacher James Elphinston. Although he initially planned to study law, he could not afford it. In 1780, he married Arabella Maria Smith, the daughter of Major General George Smith, and they relocated to Jamaica. Using his family connections, Dallas was admitted to the Jamaican bar and started practicing law. However, his legal career did not thrive, and he took on editorial roles at the 'Pennsylvania Herald' from 1787 to 1788 and the 'Columbian Magazine' from 1787 to 1789 as a side gig.
Career and Contributions
In 1791, when the Supreme Court of the United States moved to Philadelphia, Dallas was appointed as the first unofficial secretary responsible for reporting court decisions, including the landmark case 'West v. Barnes.' Despite publishing several volumes of his work, they were criticized for being incomplete, inaccurate, and excessively delayed. For example, he provided information about the historical case 'Chisholm v. Georgia' in 1793, which led to the adoption of the Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution on March 4, 1794, five years later.
When the Supreme Court relocated to Washington, D.C., Dallas left his position as secretary and stated that he would dedicate all his reports, which received little support, to the rats in the administration building. In 1791, he became the secretary for Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Mifflin. As Mifflin struggled with alcoholism, Dallas essentially performed most of the governor's duties during the 1790s. He also played a significant role in establishing the Democratic-Republican Party in Pennsylvania and advocated for the writing of a new U.S. Constitution.
In 1801, Dallas became the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and served in this position until 1814. He assisted his friend Albert Gallatin, the then-Secretary of the Treasury, in raising funds during the War of 1812 with England. Dallas successfully reorganized the Treasury Department, restored a budget surplus, and participated in the establishment of the Second Bank of the United States.
From March 2, 1815, to August 1, 1815, Alexander served as the Acting Secretary of War and concurrently as Acting Secretary of State. After his government service, he returned to Philadelphia, where he passed away on January 16, 1817. Dallas was a member of the American Philosophical Society since 1791 and served on the board of the University of Pennsylvania. The Fort Dallas in Florida and the U.S. Navy ship USS Dallas (DD-199) were named in honor of his son, Alexander J. Dallas, who died while serving in the Navy.
Family
Alexander's second son, George Mifflin Dallas, went on to become the Vice President of the United States under James K. Polk. His daughter, Sophia Burrell Dallas, married Richard Bache Jr., the son of Sarah Franklin Bache. Sarah was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and his wife, Deborah Read.
