William Pinkney

William Pinkney (born March 17, 1764, Annapolis, Md.—died Feb. 25, 1822, Washington, D.C.) was a U.S. statesman and diplomat, considered one of the foremost lawyers of his day. A member of the Maryland convention that ratified the federal Constitution in 1788, Pinkney himself voted against ratification. He served in the Maryland state legislature (1788–92; 1795) and on the state’s Executive Council (1792–95). From 1796 to 1804 he represented the United States as a commissioner to...