Woods studied law and gained admission to the bar in 1781. He also was a
major in the
militia and moved to
Washington county the same year. In 1784, he joined the
Westmoreland and
Fayette County bars; He then joined the
Allegheny County bar in 1788 and the
Bedford bar in 1791. His career was considered successful at the time due to ties to other prominent families in the area. His sister Jane married
David Espy and his sister Anne married prominent
James Ross, a Pittsburgh attorney. While working David Espy, the collaborative work of the two was described as a powerful influence in Western Pennsylvania at the time. With
Hugh Brackentidge and
Alexander Addison, Woods controlled the legal system in Pittsburgh from 1788 until the mid-1790s. Woods was the attorney representing
Pressley Neville who had lost his home during the
Whiskey Rebellion. He was the lottery manager helping to found the
Pittsburgh Academy in 1796. His earlier political career included serving as a presidential elector, and he was a five-time candidate for Congress prior to his successful election in 1814: in 1791, 1794, 1796, 1798, He was elected as a
Federalist to the
Fourteenth Congress, taking office on March 4, 1815. The term was set to run until March 3, 1817, but Woods never appeared in Congress due to poor health. Woods was on his way back from South Carolina to recuperate when he died at the age of 55, only two years into his term. ==See also==