| Birth: | Mar. 25, 1758 | | Death: | Sep. 6, 1802 | 
US Congressman, Governor of North Carolina, Signer of US Constitution. After the death of his parents this native of New Bern, North Carolina was sent to live with relatives in Ireland at the age of eight. His kinfolk made sure the young man received a good education which culminated with him reportedly graduating from the University of Glasgow just before his return to North Carolina in 1778. The timing of his trip back home placed him in the middle of America's War for Independence. Although his father had been a member of the Royal Council, which directed the affairs of the colony for Britain, the younger Spaight firmly believed in freedom from the British sovereign. He became involved with the local militia serving as an aide de camp to the North Carolina militia commander. However, he left the militia in 1781 to enter the political arena thinking he could make more of a difference working in local political efforts. From 1783 to 1785 he served in the Continental Congress after holding many local legislative positions. In 1787, at the age of 29, he was selected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He attended every session and worked behind the scenes to spread his belief that states had to work together to form a central government if the new nation was to succeed. He returned to North Carolina where he overcame poor health to serve as governor from 1792 to 1795 and as a Congressman from 1798 to 1801. As governor he orchestrated the establishment of the state capitol at Raleigh and the beginning of the state's university system. He died in 1802 when he was mortally wounded in a duel by a political rival at the young age of forty-four. (bio by: Bigwoo)
Search Amazon for Richard Spaight | | | Burial:
Clermont Estate Cemetery
New Bern
Craven County
North Carolina, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Mar 15, 1999
Find A Grave Memorial# 4726 |
|
|
|
-
Georgia Girl
Added: Mar. 25, 2013 |
Richard Dobbs Spaight: Sir, you will be known as the eighth Governor of the American State of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795. You returned to North Carolina and served as an aide to General Richard Caswell during the American Revolutionary War until 178...(Read more)
-
MFPS
Added: Mar. 25, 2013 |
-
Vicki Brewer Sexton
Added: Dec. 24, 2012 |
| There are 47 more notes not showing...
Click here to view all notes...
| |
|
|
(4.4 after 24 votes)
