Justice Gabriel Duvall

Justice Gabriel Duvall joined the U.S. Supreme Court on November 23, 1811, replacing Justice Samuel Chase. Duvall was born on December 6, 1752 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He served in the Maryland militia during the Revolutionary War but also managed to start his legal career. In the aftermath of the war, he joined the Maryland Governor’s Council. Duvall was then elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1787.

From 1794 to 1796, Duvall served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He resigned to join the General Court of Maryland. In 1802, Duvall became the U.S. Comptroller of the Treasury under the administration of President Thomas Jefferson.

President James Madison nominated Duvall to the U.S. Supreme Court on November 15, 1811. The Senate confirmed him on November 18, and he took the judicial oath just five days later. Duvall would spend nearly a quarter of a century on the Court, but he wrote very few opinions. He generally agreed with Chief Justice John Marshall.

Duvall retired from the Court on January 14, 1835 due to increasing deafness. Justice Philip Barbour replaced him on the Court. Duvall lived for almost another decade and died at the age of 91 on March 6, 1844 in Prince George’s County.