Philip Barton Key

Biography

Philip Barton Key was born in 1757 and pursued a distinguished career in law and politics during the founding era of the United States. As both a lawyer and politician, he contributed to the development of American legal institutions and governance during the nation's formative decades.

Key's work in the legal profession and his service in political office reflected the educated elite who shaped the early republic. He died in 1815 and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where he rests among other prominent figures of the nation's early history.