William Wirt

William Wirt (1772–1834) was an American lawyer, author, and statesman. Born in Bladensburg, Maryland, he built a prominent legal career in Virginia and gained national attention as a courtroom advocate. Wirt served as Attorney General of the United States from 1817 to 1829 under Presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams, one of the longest tenures in the office’s history. He also wrote *The Letters of a British Spy* (1803), a popular early work of American prose. In 1832 he was the Anti-Masonic Party’s candidate for president, carrying Vermont. He died in Washington, D.C.