James Iredell, Supreme Court Justice
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
James Iredell 1751 1799. Justice of U.S. Supreme Court, 1790-99. Attorney General of N.C. during Revolution. Home stands 200 ft. east.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
James Iredell rose from colonial official to become one of the intellectual architects of the new nation's legal order. He served as North Carolina's attorney general during the Revolution and championed ratification of the Constitution, and in 1790 President Washington named him to the first U.S. Supreme Court, where he sat until his death in 1799. His Edenton home still stands nearby.
Why it matters
As one of the earliest Supreme Court justices, Iredell helped define the role of the federal judiciary in the young republic.
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Related people
- · James Iredell
- · George Washington
Themes & tags
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