The American statesman and political essayist Fisher Ames (1758-1808) was a superb congressional orator, noted for his active support of Alexander Hamilton's policies and for his leadership in the Federalist party.

Fisher Ames was born in Dedham, Mass., on April 9, 1758, the youngest child of Nathaniel and Deborah Fisher Ames, and brother of Nathaniel Ames. The father, a versatile physician, tavern owner, and compiler of a famous almanac, died when Fisher was 6 years old. Ames entered Harvard at 12, studied the classics, was trained in elocution, and in 1774 graduated as an outstanding scholar. During the Revolution he served briefly in the militia, but primarily studied law. As a rising Boston lawyer in the 1780s, he won acclaim with essays condemning Shays' Rebellion and advocating the centralization of governmental power. At the state convention of 1788, Ames's persuasive oratory was influential in obtaining ratification of the Federal Constitution. After one term in...