Samuel Ashe (1725-1813)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Ashe was the ninth Governor
of the U.S.
State
of North Carolina
from 1795 to 1798.
Ashe was born in Beaufort, North Carolina
. His father, John Baptista Ashe, and brother, John Ashe, both served as Speaker
of the North Carolina Colonial Assembly, or House of Burgesses. Ashe became an orphan at the age of 9. He married Mary Porter in 1748; they had three children, including John Baptista Ashe
, who would serve in the Continental Congress
. After Mary died, Ashe remarried, this time to Elizabeth Merrik.
Ashe studied law and was named Assistant Attorney for the Crown in the Wilmington
district of the colony.
He became involved in the revolutionary
movement and served in the North Carolina Provincial Congress
and as a member of the North Carolina militia. For a little more than one month in 1776, Ashe served as president of the Council of Safety, the state's executive authority. He was also appointed to the committee that drafted the first North Carolina Constitution
. In 1776, he was elected to the new North Carolina Senate
and was elected its first speaker. The following year, Ashe was appointed presiding judge of the state Superior Court; a post he held until 1795.
In 1795, the General Assembly
elected him governor at the age of 70. He served three one-year terms, the maximum constitutional limit, before retiring in 1798. Ashe continued to remain active in politics after his term as governor, serving as a member of the United States Electoral College
in 1804.
Ashe County
and the cities of Asheville, North Carolina
and Asheboro, North Carolina
are named in his honor.
Ashe's grandson, William Ashe, was a Confederate
soldier in the American Civil War
, and a son of John B. and Eliza (Hay) Ashe. He was killed at Shiloh
in 1862, a battle in which William's brother, Samuel Swann Ashe, also fought. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/AA/fas4.html
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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 1798.
Ashe was born in Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
. His father, John Baptista Ashe, and brother, John Ashe, both served as Speaker
Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives
The Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives is the presiding officer of one of the houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The Speaker is elected by the members of the house when they convene for their regular session in January of each odd-numbered year...
of the North Carolina Colonial Assembly, or House of Burgesses. Ashe became an orphan at the age of 9. He married Mary Porter in 1748; they had three children, including John Baptista Ashe
John Baptista Ashe (delegate)
John Baptista Ashe was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from North Carolina. He was born in Rocky Point township of Pender County, North Carolina in 1748, the son of Samuel Ashe. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the North Carolina Line of the Continental Army, rising...
, who would serve in 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....
. After Mary died, Ashe remarried, this time to Elizabeth Merrik.
Ashe studied law and was named Assistant Attorney for the Crown in the Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
district of the colony.
He became involved in the revolutionary
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...
movement and served in the North Carolina Provincial Congress
North Carolina Provincial Congress
The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government.-First Provincial Congress:...
and as a member of the North Carolina militia. For a little more than one month in 1776, Ashe served as president of the Council of Safety, the state's executive authority. He was also appointed to the committee that drafted the first North Carolina Constitution
North Carolina Constitution
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law...
. In 1776, he was elected to the new North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
and was elected its first speaker. The following year, Ashe was appointed presiding judge of the state Superior Court; a post he held until 1795.
In 1795, the General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
elected him governor at the age of 70. He served three one-year terms, the maximum constitutional limit, before retiring in 1798. Ashe continued to remain active in politics after his term as governor, serving as a member of the United States Electoral College
United States Electoral College
The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
in 1804.
Ashe County
Ashe County, North Carolina
- History :Historical evidence shows that Ashe county was inhabited by Native Americans, which included the Cherokee, Creek, and Shawnee tribes. Pieces of broken pottery, arrowheads, and other Native American artifacts have been found, indicating their presence...
and the cities of Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
and Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 21,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County, and is the home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo.-Geography:...
are named in his honor.
Ashe's grandson, William Ashe, was a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldier in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and a son of John B. and Eliza (Hay) Ashe. He was killed at Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
in 1862, a battle in which William's brother, Samuel Swann Ashe, also fought. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/AA/fas4.html
Sources
- Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978, Robert SobelRobert SobelRobert Sobel was an American professor of history at Hofstra University, and a well-known and prolific writer of business histories.- Biography :...
and John Raimo, eds. Westport, CT: Meckler Books, 1978. (ISBN 0-930466-00-4) - North Carolina Government 1585–1979, A narrative and statistical history, Thad Eure-Secretary of State, North Carolina Department of Secretary of State-Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Samuel Ashe on Find-A-Grave