William Barry Grove was a Federalist U.S. Congressman

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 the state 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 1791 to 1803.

Grove was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....

 in 1764. After studying law, he was admitted to the state bar and became a practicing attorney. In 1786, Grove was first elected to the North Carolina House of Commons; he would serve again in 1788 and 1789. In 1788, Grove was a delegate to the state convention that 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...

; he voted against postponement of ratification, but the state did not ratify the constitution at that time. Grove was also a delegate to the 1789 state convention where North Carolina finally ratified the federal constitution.

A trustee of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

 and the president of the Fayetteville Branch of the Bank of the United States

First Bank of the United States

The First Bank of the United States is a National Historic Landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within Independence National Historical Park.-Banking History:...

, Grove was elected to the Second United States Congress in 1790; he was re-elected to the 3rd through 7th

7th United States Congress

- House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Aaron Burr * President pro tempore:** Abraham Baldwin , first elected December 7, 1801** Stephen R. Bradley , first elected December 14, 1802-House of Representatives:...

 Congresses as a Federalist

Federalist Party (United States)

The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...

, serving consecutively from March 4, 1791 to March 3, 1803. Although he ran for re-election in 1802, he was defeated for a seat in the 8th U.S. Congress

8th United States Congress

- Senate :* President: Aaron Burr * President pro tempore: John Brown , October 17, 1803 – February 26, 1804** Jesse Franklin , March 10, 1804 – November 4, 1804** Joseph Anderson , January 15, 1805 – December 1, 1805- House of Representatives :...

.

Grove died in 1818 and is buried in Fayetteville's Grove Creek Cemetery.