Charles Fisher (congressman)
Encyclopedia
Charles Fisher was an American politician and legislator from North Carolina
who was twice elected U.S. Representative
from his state.
Born near Salisbury, North Carolina
, Fisher was educated by private tutors in Raleigh, North Carolina
, studied law and was admitted to the bar
but did not practice to any extent. In 1818 Fisher became member of the State senate.
Fisher was elected as a Democratic-Republican
to the Fifteenth
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George Mumford
in Washington D.C. at the end of 1818. Reelected to the Sixteenth
Congress, Fisher served from February 11, 1819, to March 3, 1821 and declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1820.
Returning from three year's experience in the federal legislature, Fisher was elected member of the State House of Commons
from Rowan County, North Carolina
in 1821 and served until 1836. Fisher was Speaker of North Carolina House of Commons in 1831 and 1832 and served as member of the state constitutional convention in 1835.
Fisher was returned to the Twenty-sixth
Congress (March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841), this time as a Democrat
. Fisher was not a candidate for renomination in 1840 though he stayed politically active; he was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth
Congress.
, who also became a Rowan County political figure for many years and after whose death at the First Battle of Bull Run
became the Confederate hero for whom Fort Fisher
was eventually named.
The elder Fisher died in Hillsboro, Mississippi, while on a visit, May 7, 1849.
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...
who was twice elected U.S. Representative
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 his state.
Born near Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, Fisher was educated by private tutors 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...
, studied law and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
but did not practice to any extent. In 1818 Fisher became member of the State senate.
Fisher 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 Fifteenth
15th United States Congress
-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Daniel D. Tompkins * President pro tempore:** John Gaillard , elected March 4, 1817** James Barbour , elected February 15, 1819- House of Representatives :*Speaker: Henry Clay -Members:...
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George Mumford
George Mumford
George Mumford was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina.Mumford was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, birth date unknown. He attended the common schools. He was a member of the State house of commons in1810 and 1811...
in Washington D.C. at the end of 1818. Reelected to the Sixteenth
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
Congress, Fisher served from February 11, 1819, to March 3, 1821 and declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1820.
Returning from three year's experience in the federal legislature, Fisher was elected member of the State House of Commons
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
from Rowan County, North Carolina
Rowan County, North Carolina
-Demographics and economics:As of the census of 2010, there were 138,428 people, 53,140 households, and 37,058 families residing in the county. The population density was 270.7 people per square mile . There were 60,211 housing units at an average density of 117.7 per square mile...
in 1821 and served until 1836. Fisher was Speaker of North Carolina House of Commons in 1831 and 1832 and served as member of the state constitutional convention in 1835.
Fisher was returned to the Twenty-sixth
26th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :*President: Richard M. Johnson *President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :*Speaker: Robert M.T. Hunter -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congress (March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841), this time as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Fisher was not a candidate for renomination in 1840 though he stayed politically active; he was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth
29th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.-Leadership:-Senate:* President: George M. Dallas * President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum...
Congress.
Personal life
Fisher married Christiana Beard, daughter of another Salisbury attorney. The pair had four children, one boy who died in infancy, and two girls who both married and lived to adulthood. In 1816, a son was born, Charles Frederick FisherCharles Frederick Fisher
Charles Frederick Fisher was an American attorney, legislator, engineer, and soldier from Rowan County, North Carolina who during the American Civil War became the Colonel commanding the 6th North Carolina Regiment...
, who also became a Rowan County political figure for many years and after whose death at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
became the Confederate hero for whom Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
was eventually named.
The elder Fisher died in Hillsboro, Mississippi, while on a visit, May 7, 1849.