Born in
East Granby, Connecticut, he attended the
common schools. After moving with his father to
Aurora, Ohio, he settled in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1803. There he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1806. He practiced in Pittsburgh and also served for more than a year as editor of
The Tree of Liberty newspaper. He also served in the
Pennsylvania General Assembly. In 1822, he was elected to the
17th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
Henry Baldwin, and was reelected to the
18th Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1824 to the
19th Congress. He was a member of the Pennsylvania
constitutional convention in 1837 and played an important role in the establishment of the
United States Whig Party in the 1830s. He died in
Pittsburgh and is interred in
Allegheny Cemetery. ==Honors==