George Logan
Encyclopedia
George Logan was an American
physician, farmer, legislator and politician from Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
. He served in the Pennsylvania state legislature
and represented Pennsylvania
in the United States Senate
. He was a founder of the Democratic-Republican Societies
in 1793. An accomplished farmer, he was a founder of the Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of Agriculture.
In 1798, he went to Paris to negotiate peace with the French to settle the Quasi-War
. On his return, he found he had been denounced by the opposition Federalists
, who had passed a statute informally known as the "Logan Act
", which made it a crime for an individual citizen to interfere in a dispute between the United States and a foreign country.
In 1781, he married Deborah Norris, a historian and diarist, and the friend to whom Sally Wister
addressed her Journal. She was the first woman elected to membership in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
.
Logan was the grandson of James Logan
, who was the secretary of William Penn
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician, farmer, legislator and politician from Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
. He served in the Pennsylvania state legislature
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
and represented Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He was a founder of the Democratic-Republican Societies
Democratic-Republican Societies
Democratic-Republican Societies were local political organizations formed in the United States in 1793-94 to promote republicanism and democracy and to fight aristocratic tendencies...
in 1793. An accomplished farmer, he was a founder of the Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of Agriculture.
In 1798, he went to Paris to negotiate peace with the French to settle the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
. On his return, he found he had been denounced by the opposition Federalists
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
, who had passed a statute informally known as the "Logan Act
Logan Act
The Logan Act is a United States federal law that forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. It was passed in 1799 and last amended in 1994...
", which made it a crime for an individual citizen to interfere in a dispute between the United States and a foreign country.
In 1781, he married Deborah Norris, a historian and diarist, and the friend to whom Sally Wister
Sally Wister
Sarah Wister was a girl living in Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. She is principally known as the author of Sally Wister's Journal, a first-hand account of life in the nearby countryside during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777–78, when she was sixteen.-Family and early...
addressed her Journal. She was the first woman elected to membership in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
.
Logan was the grandson of James Logan
James Logan (statesman)
James Logan , a statesman and scholar, was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland of Scottish descent and Quaker parentage. In 1689, the Logan family moved to Bristol, England where, in 1693, James replaced his father as schoolmaster...
, who was the secretary of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
.
Further reading
- Memoir of Dr. George Logan of Stenton, by Deborah Norris Logan, ed. by Frances A. Logan, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1899. (Modern reprint by Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 9781432642426)