born 0441; 1731, West River, Md.
died Aug. 29, 1803, Watford, Hertfordshire, Eng.
American colonial lawyer and legislator.
Entering law practice in Philadelphia in 1747, Galloway won a reputation by pleading cases before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania before he was 20. He was elected to the colonial legislature in 1756 and served as speaker from 1766 to 1775. A loyalist , he opposed the independence of the colonies; his plan for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Britain was narrowly rejected by the Continental Congress . During the American Revolution Galloway joined the British army under William Howe , becoming a civil administrator of Philadelphia during the British occupation of the city. When the Continental Army reentered Philadelphia in 1778, he fled to England.