 John Rutledge was born in 1739 in South
Carolina.
He was was of 7 children of wealthy parents. In the late 1750s, Rutledge
read law with his uncles in the colonies, and then studied law at the Inns
of Court (Middle Temple) in London. After returning to South Carolina,
Rutledge was a successful lawyer and politician, serving as a member of the
First and Second Continental Congresses, and was the first governor of the
state of South Carolina. Rutledge was among the first group of persons
nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court. He remained a member for 2
years before resigning, accepting a position as chief justice of the court
of common please in South Carolina. After
John Jay
was elected governor of New York in 1795, Rutledge asked for and received an
appointment as Chief Justice. Rutledge presided during the Court's August
1795 session, and helped decided two cases. In December 1795, Rutledge's
nomination was defeated in the Senate. Rutledge attempted to commit suicide
shortly thereafter. He died in Charleston, the place of his birth, on June
21, 1800.
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