After studying abroad, Morris returned to Philadelphia and studied law; he was admitted to the
bar and commenced practice in
Canandaigua, New York. He was a member of the
New York State Assembly from 1794 to 1796.[4]
Morris was elected as a
Federalist to the Seventh Congress, holding office from March 4, 1801, to March 3, 1803.[5] He was not a candidate for renomination, and resumed the practice of law in
New York City in 1803. He was appointed
United States Marshal for the
Southern District of New York in 1816, 1820, 1825, and 1829.[4]
Morris was said to have settled the peace with the
Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, four of whom had sided with the British during the Revolution.[6] His father then sold his substantial property in
Western New York, which the younger Morris oversaw,[7] to the
Holland Land Company in 1792–1793 for redevelopment in parcels,[8] although some sources identify the sale at five years later, in 1797–1798.[9]
Personal life
Morris was married to Elizabeth Sarah Kane (1771–1853), the daughter of Col. John Kane (1734–1808) and Sybil Kent Kane. Elizabeth's brother, Elisha Kane, and sister-in-law,
Alida Van Rensselaer, were the parents of
John K. Kane (1795–1858), the
Attorney General of Pennsylvania.[10] Her sister, Sybil Adeline Kane, married Alida's brother, Jeremias Van Rensselaer (1769–1827), both children of
Robert Van Rensselaer.[11] Together, they were the parents of:[12][13]
^Kirby, C.D. (1976). The Early History of Gowanda and The Beautiful Land of the Cattaraugus. Gowanda, NY: Niagara Frontier Publishing Company, Inc./Gowanda Area Bi-Centennial Committee, Inc.
^From Ancestry.com; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803–1915." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008, 2010. From originals housed at the Philadelphia City Archives. "Death Records."