Representative George Gordon King

George Gordon King (June 9, 1807 – July 17, 1870) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island and a member of the Whig Party who served two terms in Congress during a significant period in American political history. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 9, 1807, the eldest son of Dr. David King Sr. (1774–1836) and his wife, whose maiden name was Gordon. Raised in a prominent Newport family, he was part of a mercantile and professional household that would become well known in Rhode Island and beyond. His three younger brothers—David King Jr., Edward King, and William Henry King—each made large fortunes as traders by going to China with the influential mercantile firm Russell & Company. William Henry King later became associated with Kingscote, the noted Gothic Revival mansion in Newport. Through his extended family, King was connected to prominent transatlantic commercial and social circles; his nephew and namesake, George Gordon King, married Annie McKenzie Coats, daughter of Sir James Coats, 1st Baronet, and Sarah Ann (née Auchincloss) Coats.

King received a classical education in his native Newport and continued his preparatory studies at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, one of New England’s leading academies. He then attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, from which he graduated in 1825. Seeking a professional career in the law, he pursued legal studies at the Litchfield Law School in Connecticut, one of the earliest formal law schools in the United States and a training ground for many nineteenth-century American lawyers and public officials. This combination of classical schooling and specialized legal education prepared him for a career that would encompass both legal practice and public service.

After completing his legal studies, King was admitted to the bar in 1827. He established a law practice in Rhode Island, working in both Providence and his native Newport. As a practicing attorney, he became part of the state’s professional and political elite, operating in an era when the bar was closely intertwined with public life. His legal work and family connections helped position him for entry into elective office at the state level, where many national politicians of his generation first gained experience.

King’s formal political career began in the Rhode Island General Assembly, where he served as a member of the State House of Representatives. By the mid-1840s he had risen to a position of leadership in that body, serving as Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1845 and 1846. In that role he presided over legislative deliberations and helped guide the state’s lawmaking process at a time when Rhode Island, like many states, was grappling with questions of economic development, political reform, and the balance of power between state and federal authority.

Building on his state legislative experience, King was elected as a Whig to the national legislature, representing Rhode Island in the United States House of Representatives. He served in the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Congresses from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1853. As a member of the Whig Party representing Rhode Island, he contributed to the legislative process during his two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a period marked by sectional tensions, debates over slavery and territorial expansion, and significant economic and political change. His service in Congress occurred during a critical era that included the Compromise of 1850 and other major national issues confronting the Union. At the conclusion of his second term, he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection, bringing his congressional career to a close in 1853.

After leaving Congress, King returned to private life in Rhode Island. Although specific details of his later professional activities are less fully documented, his background as a lawyer, former state legislative leader, and former member of Congress suggests that he remained a figure of standing in Newport and within Rhode Island’s civic and social circles. He lived out his remaining years in his native city, which in the mid-nineteenth century was emerging as both a commercial center and a growing resort community for prominent American families.

George Gordon King died in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 17, 1870. He was interred in Island Cemetery in Newport, a burial place for many members of longstanding local families. His career reflected the trajectory of a nineteenth-century New England lawyer and legislator who moved from classical education and legal training into state leadership and national office, contributing to Rhode Island’s representation in Congress during a formative period in American history.