Absalom Tatom
Encyclopedia
Absalom Tatom was a U.S. Congressman
from North Carolina
from 1795 to 1796.
Militia in 1763; he served in North Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War
, where he was commissioned first lieutenant on September 1, 1775 and promoted to the rank of captain June 29, 1776. He resigned from the Continental Army
on September 19, 1776.
On August 15, 1778, Tatom enlisted as assistant quartermaster and keeper of the arsenal in the State service at Hillsborough, North Carolina
; he was contractor for Hillsborough in 1778 and named major of detachment of the North Carolina Light Horse February 12, 1779.
In 1779, Tatom served as clerk of court in Randolph County
; he was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons, but, because of his county clerk position, was disqualified from service in the legislature. In 1781, Tatom was district auditor for Hillsborough.
Tatom rose in state government; in 1782, he was one of three commissioners appointed by Congress to survey lands granted to Continental soldiers in the western territory (later Tennessee); that same year, he was a private secretary of Governor Thomas Burke
and state tobacco
agent. The Continental Congress
named him surveyor of North Carolina in May 1785 and was named commissioner to sign State paper money in December 1785.
In 1788, Tatom was a delegate to the convention which considered ratification of the United States Constitution
. In 1794, Tatom was elected as a Democratic-Republican
to the 4th United States Congress
where he served from March 4, 1795 until his resignation on June 1, 1796. Tatom was later a member of the state House of Commons from 1797 to 1802; he died in Raleigh, North Carolina
in December 1802 and is buried in the Old City Cemetery
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
from 1795 to 1796.
Biography
Born in North Carolina in 1742, Tatom was a sergeant in the Greenville, North CarolinaGreenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
Militia in 1763; he served in North Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, where he was commissioned first lieutenant on September 1, 1775 and promoted to the rank of captain June 29, 1776. He resigned from the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
on September 19, 1776.
On August 15, 1778, Tatom enlisted as assistant quartermaster and keeper of the arsenal in the State service at Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
; he was contractor for Hillsborough in 1778 and named major of detachment of the North Carolina Light Horse February 12, 1779.
In 1779, Tatom served as clerk of court in Randolph County
Randolph County, North Carolina
-Notable people:*Naomi Wise, murder victim*Richard Petty - Nascar driver.*Lee Petty - Nascar pioneer. Richard Petty's father.*Kyle Petty - Nascar driver. Son of Richard Petty*Adam Petty - Nascar driver. Kyle Petty's son...
; he was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons, but, because of his county clerk position, was disqualified from service in the legislature. In 1781, Tatom was district auditor for Hillsborough.
Tatom rose in state government; in 1782, he was one of three commissioners appointed by Congress to survey lands granted to Continental soldiers in the western territory (later Tennessee); that same year, he was a private secretary of Governor Thomas Burke
Thomas Burke (governor)
Thomas Burke was an American physician, lawyer, and statesman from Hillsborough, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was the third Governor of the state....
and state tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
agent. The Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
named him surveyor of North Carolina in May 1785 and was named commissioner to sign State paper money in December 1785.
In 1788, Tatom was a delegate to the convention which considered ratification of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. In 1794, Tatom was elected as a Democratic-Republican
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
to the 4th United States Congress
4th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President: John Adams * President pro tempore:** Henry Tazewell , first elected December 7, 1795** Samuel Livermore , first elected May 6, 1796** William Bingham , first elected February 16, 1797...
where he served from March 4, 1795 until his resignation on June 1, 1796. Tatom was later a member of the state House of Commons from 1797 to 1802; he died in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
in December 1802 and is buried in the Old City Cemetery
City Cemetery (Raleigh, North Carolina)
The City Cemetery of Raleigh, also known as Old City Cemetery, was authorized in 1798 by the North Carolina General Assembly as Raleigh's first burying ground. It was laid out on of land just outside the original 1792 eastern boundary of Raleigh and bounded by East Street on the west, East...
.