Joseph Kent (January 14, 1779November 24, 1837), a Whig, was a

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, serving from 1833 until his death in 1837. He also served in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

, serving the second district of Maryland from 1811 to 1815 and again from 1819 to 1826, and as the 19th Governor of Maryland from 1826 to 1829.

Early life and career

Born on January 14, 1779, in Calvert County, Maryland. He was the son of Daniel Kent, Sr. (1754–1805) and Anne Weems Wheeler (1761–1823). Joseph Kent received a liberal schooling at Lower Marlboro Academy, and studied medicine. He was admitted to medical practice in Lower Marlborough, Calvert County in 1799 with a Doctor Parran, but ceased relations with Parran after a political disagreement in 1801.

First marriage

Joseph married first, Eleanor Lee Contee Wallace (1782–1826) on October 30, 1804. Eleanor was born December 9, 1782, in Prince George's County, Maryland. She died August 14, 1826. Eleanor was the daughter Dr. Michael Wallace, Jr., Esq. (1749–1794) and Eleanor Lee Contee (1758–1786). Their daughter, Adelaide MacKubin Kent, would marry Thomas Pratt, another Governor of Maryland and U.S. Senator.

Farming and medicine

Kent purchased a estate named "Rosemount" near

Bladensburg, Maryland Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland. The population was 9,657 at the 2020 census. Areas in Bladensburg are located within ZIP code 20710. Bladensburg is from central Washington. History Originally called Garrison's Landi ...

, and settled there around 1807. "Rosemount" is part of the large estate, "Park Hall", owned by the Gantt family in 1735, about which time it was divided and sold. Joseph gave the name "Rosemount". He was passionately fond of roses and the old terraced garden was kept profusely planted with lilies and roses, justifying his choice of the new name he had given his home. He continued the practice of medicine and also engaged in farming on his estate. In 1807, Dr. Kent removed to the vicinity of Bladensburg and entered the Maryland State Militia as a Surgeon's mate, in the 34th Regiment of the Maryland Militia. In 1809 he was made a full surgeon, but resigned. In the militia, Kent received the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel, and finally as a Colonel of the Cavalry of the 2nd Maryland Militia Cavalry. Joseph presided at the first public meeting in Washington for the organization of the

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland. It replaced the Potomac Canal, ...

, in which he became a director.

Politics

Turning to politics, Joseph was elected to the United States Congress in 1810 taking his seat on March 4, 1811, and served several years until March 3, 1815. Though a Federalist, opposing

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

with Great Britain, he voted with the Republican party in declaring War. He was a

Presidential Elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

in 1816, casting his vote for James Monroe (1758–1831). He later broke with the Federalist party and by the time of the next election he was a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

, in which he was elected to another term in the House of Representatives from March 4, 1819, until he resigned on January 6, 1826. In his second tenure in Congress, Kent continued as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia.

Governor of Maryland

Joseph was elected Governor of Maryland in 1826. The primary goal of Kent's administration as governor was to work toward

internal improvements Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, canal ...

. He was in support of improving internal transportation, including expanding the

and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The immense cost of these projects, however, were never fully repudiated until several decades after Kent's administration, and placed the state under immense financial burden for many years aftwards. Other areas of interest for Kent included

prison reform Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are impacted by crimes ...

, separating presidential voting into districts, and for increased funding for schools and colleges. He also sought to improve the maintenance of the state's records, "so indispensably necessary to its correct history" as he said.

Second marriage

Joseph married Alice Lee Contee (1803–1868) on July 8, 1828, at "Bromont", near Newburg, Charles Co., Maryland. Alice was born at "Bromont", near Newburg, Charles Co., Maryland. She died August 24, 1868. Alice was the a first cousin of Joseph's first wife, Eleanor Lee Contee Wallace (1782–1826). Alice was the daughter of Capt. Benjamin Contee, Rev., Hon. (1755–1815) and Sarah Russell Lee (1766–1810).

United States Senate and later life

Kent was elected as a Republican (later Whig) to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1833, until his death at his home, "Rosemount," near Bladensburg. He served as chairman of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia (Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Congresses). As senator, Kent was opposed to the Bank of the United States, and offered a resolution asking for negotiations with France regarding lower tobacco prices and restricting the importing of tobacco. However, although this resolution passed, it was not widely popular. Due to ill health, Kent attended only four sessions of the Senate, and died in 1837 as a result of a fall from his horse. He is buried in an unmarked grave at his home of "Rosemount".

References

*Frank F. White, Jr., ''The Governors of Maryland 1777-1970'' (Annapolis: The Hall of Records Commission, 1970), 87-89. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Joseph 1779 births 1837 deaths People from Calvert County, Maryland American people of English descent Fendall family Maryland Federalists Maryland Whigs Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland National Republican Party United States senators from Maryland Whig Party United States senators from Maryland 1816 United States presidential electors Governors of Maryland Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States American planters 18th-century American physicians 19th-century American physicians Deaths by horse-riding accident in the United States Accidental deaths in Maryland Contee family