Jasper Yeates
Encyclopedia
Jasper Yeates was a lawyer and judge from Pennsylvania.
He was born in Philadelphia into a prominent family, and was sent to the Inns of Court
in England for his legal training. He became a resident of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. During the American Revolution
he sided with the Patriot
cause. In 1776, he served as a commissioner to investigate Native American affairs in Pittsburgh.
After the Revolution, Yeates was a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention that ratified the United States Constitution
in 1787. He served as a justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1791 until his death in 1817. A Federalist, he was appointed by the Washington administration in 1794 to serve on a commission sent to negotiate an end to the Whiskey Rebellion
.
He was born in Philadelphia into a prominent family, and was sent to the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
in England for his legal training. He became a resident of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
he sided with the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
cause. In 1776, he served as a commissioner to investigate Native American affairs in Pittsburgh.
After the Revolution, Yeates was a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention that ratified the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
in 1787. He served as a justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1791 until his death in 1817. A Federalist, he was appointed by the Washington administration in 1794 to serve on a commission sent to negotiate an end to the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
.
External Links
- The Jasper Yeates papers, which span his lifetime and contain Yeates's personal correspondence, accounts, and notes on trials and other legal papers, is available for research use at the Historical Society of PennsylvaniaHistorical Society of PennsylvaniaThe 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...
.