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John Dawson (1762 – March 31, 1814) was a Virginian lawyer, soldier and politician who served in the War of 1812 and a term in the Continental Congress as well as several terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1797 until his death in office in 1814.

Early life and education

Born in the Colony of Virginia, Dawson graduated from Harvard University in 1782, studied law and was admitted to the bar.

Career

Known for his stylish attire and red hair, "Beau" Dawson was a good friend of, and prolific correspondent with, James Madison, for Dawson's stepfather Judge Joseph Jones raised Madison's good friend (and sometimes political opponent) James Monroe after his father's death. Dawson served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1786 to 1789 and was also elected a delegate of the Continental Congress in 1788.

A delegate to the Virginia Convention in 1788, Dawson opposed ratification, aligning himself with Monroe, Patrick Henry and George Mason, although that convention as a whole ratified the United States Constitution. The following year Dawson was selected to Virginia's privy council and served in that executive branch capacity for several years. In 1796, Dawson was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democratic-Republican and served from 1797 to his death in 1814. In 1801 President John Adams selected Dawson to transmit dispatches to the Government of France, and Dawson thus averted war with the one-time ally. Dawson became chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia from 1813 to 1814, as well as served as an aide to Generals Jacob Brown and future President Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812.

Death

Dawson died in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1814.

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)

References

1. • United States Congress. "John Dawson (id: D000151)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
2. Richard Labunski, James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights (Oxford University Press, 2006), pp. 24-25

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 10th congressional district
Griffin Harrison Gray Dawson Hawes Strother Moore Rives Gordon Chinn Taliaferro Lucas Bedinger Parker Faulkner Kidwell Clemens Brown (inactive 1863–85) J. Tucker Yost H. Tucker Yost Quarles H. Flood H. Tucker J. Flood (inactive 1933–53) Broyhill Fisher Wolf Comstock Wexton Subramanyam (elect)

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th congressional district
Parker Newton New Garnett Roane Dawson Barbour R. Taylor Barbour Patton Stevenson Robertson Botts W. Taylor McDowell Letcher Snodgrass Lewis Carlile Jenkins Carlile Blair (inactive 1863–1993) Byrne Davis Connolly

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 15th congressional district
Madison Dawson Randolph Kerr Clay Kerr Lewis Tucker Barbour E. Lucas Mason W. Lucas Barton Steenrod Brown Newman Haymond Thompson Clemens (inactive 1853–present)

• 1762 births
• 1814 deaths
• Continental Congressmen from Virginia
• Delegates to the Virginia Ratifying Convention
• Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
• Virginia lawyers
• Harvard College alumni
• People from Virginia in the War of 1812
• Burials at the Congressional Cemetery
• Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
• 19th-century American lawyers
• 18th-century American lawyers
• 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives