Wirt, William, 1772-1834

William Wirt was born on November 8, 1772, in Bladensburg, Maryland. He attended Georgetown University, was admitted to the bar in 1792, and practiced law in Culpeper Virginia. Wirt was also appointed chancellor of Virginia's Eastern District and clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates. In 1807, Wirt served as prosecuting attorney in the trial of Aaron Burr, and was later appointed U.S. district attorney for Virginia by President James Madison (1816). Wirt would serve as U.S. attorney general in the cabinets of Presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams (1817-1829). He wrote extensive legal opinions and authored Letters of a British Spy (1803), The Rainbow (1808) and The Old Bachelor (1812), and ran unsuccessfully as the anti-Masonic presidential candidate in the election of 1832. William Wirt died in Washington, D.C., on February 18, 1834.

<p>William Wirt (November 8, 1772 – February 18, 1834) was an American author and statesman who is credited with turning the position of United States Attorney General into one of influence. He was the longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history. He was also the Anti-Masonic nominee for president in the 1832 election.</p>

<p>Wirt grew up in Maryland but pursued a legal career in Virginia, passing the Virginia bar in 1792. After holding various positions, he served as the prosecutor in Aaron Burr's trial for treason. He won election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1808 and was appointed as a United States Attorney in 1816. The following year, President James Monroe appointed him to the position of United States Attorney General. Wirt remained in that office for the next twelve years, serving under Monroe and John Quincy Adams. He continued his law career after leaving office, representing the Cherokee in <i>Cherokee Nation v. Georgia</i>.</p>

<p>Though Wirt was himself a former Freemason, the Anti-Masonic Party nominated him for president in 1832. Wirt did not actively campaign for office and refused to publicly speak against Masonry. Nonetheless, the ticket of Wirt and Amos Ellmaker carried the state of Vermont, becoming the first third party presidential ticket to win a state. After the election, Wirt continued to practice law until his death in 1834. Wirt County, West Virginia, is named in Wirt's honor.</p>

<p>William Wirt (1772-1834) was Attorney General of the United States under James Monroe and the 1832 anti-Masonic candidate for president. Wirt also served as a Democratic Republican Party lawyer for Thomas Jefferson over the years. Born in Bladensburg, Maryland, he moved to Culpeper, Virginia, in 1792. There he passed the Virginia bar and met his future wife Mildred Gilmer, daughter of Jefferson's close friend George Gilmer.</p>

<p>The Gilmer connection brought Wirt into Jefferson's orbit. Jefferson, evidently appreciating his legal skills, hired Wirt in the case of <i>Cobbs v. Jefferson</i>. After Mildred's death in 1799, Jefferson recommended Wirt to be the clerk of the House of Delegates. During the sedition trial of James Callender in 1800, Wirt served as counsel representing Callender, though he lost the case and Callender served time in jail. In 1807, Wirt unsuccessfully prosecuted Aaron Burr for treason. James Madison made Wirt a U.S. attorney before he served for one year as the U.S. Attorney General for James Monroe in 1817.</p>

<p>Jefferson offered Wirt a professorship in law at the University of Virginia, but he turned it down. After Jefferson's death, Wirt eulogized him and John Adams in the House of Representatives on October 19, 1826.</p>