Thomas Ross (December 1, 1806 – July 7, 1865) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1849 to 1853, representing the 6th congressional district of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in the 31st United States Congress and the

32nd United States Congress The 32nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851, ...

Early life and education

Ross was born in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river that joins the Delaware R ...

on December 1, 1806. His father, John Ross, served in the

as a member of the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...

, representing

Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district Pennsylvania's second congressional district includes all of Northeast Philadelphia and parts of North Philadelphia east of Broad Street, as well as portions of Philadelphia's River Wards. It has been represented by Democrat Brendan Boyle since 2 ...

from 1809 to 1811 and

Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district is a district in the state of Pennsylvania. It includes all of Chester County, the city of Reading, and Reading's southeastern suburbs in Berks County. The district is represented by Democrat Chrissy Ho ...

from 1815 to 1818. Ross attended schools in

Doylestown, Pennsylvania Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Trenton, north of Center City, Philadelphia, southeast of Allentown, and southwest of New York City. As of the 2020 ...

. He graduated from

Princeton College Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

in 1823 and studied law.

Career

Ross was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1829; he commenced practice in Doylestown. He was appointed deputy attorney general of the state for

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

that same year. Ross was frequently a candidate of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, though he was also affiliated with the Anti-Masonic Party. Ross served in the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853. He represented Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district – the same district his father represented – in the 31st United States Congress and the

. Ross's time in office began on March 4, 1849 and concluded on March 3, 1853. Following his tenure in Congress, Ross resumed practicing law in Doylestown.

Personal life and death

Ross was married to Elizabeth Pawling, with whom he had four children. Ross died at the age of 58 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania on July 7, 1865. He was buried in Doylestown Cemetery.

References

External links

Official page
at the '' Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''
Profile
from GovTrack
Thomas Ross
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...

Thomas Ross
at Find a Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Thomas 1806 births 1865 deaths 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania lawyers Politicians from Easton, Pennsylvania Princeton University alumni People from Doylestown, Pennsylvania Burials in Pennsylvania

Early life and education

Career

Personal life and death

See also

References

External links