Cornelius Harnett (April 10, 1723 – April 20, 1781) was an American Founding Father, politician, merchant, plantation owner, and slaveholder from

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

. He was a leading

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

ary statesman in the Cape Fear region, and a delegate for

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

in the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

from 1777 to 1779 where he signed the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...

. Cornelius Harnett is the namesake of Harnett County, North Carolina.

Personal life

Harnett was born on April 10, 1723, to Cornelius and Elizabeth Harnett in Chowan County, North Carolina. Soon after he was born, his parents moved to Wilmington. As an adult, he obtained a plantation in Wilmington. He became a leading merchant there and was interested in

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

milling Milling may refer to: * Milling (minting), forming narrow ridges around the edge of a coin * Milling (grinding), breaking solid materials into smaller pieces by grinding, crushing, or cutting in a mill * Milling (machining), a process of using ro ...

, and mercantile ventures. Harnett was an Episcopalian but has also been identified as a deist. Though he was an intelligent man, there is little known about his educational background. His intelligence served him well in his passion for politics. Harnett married Mary Holt where they lived on his second plantation, Poplar Grove, located in Scotts Hill, which is north of Wilmington. During Harnett's political career, he maintained his relationship with his wife through letters. Harnett's death came about after being captured and "thrown across a horse like a sack of meal". He was captured by the British upon their occupation of Wilmington in January 1781. His health steadily declined while imprisoned. He died April 20, 1781, shortly after being released on parole.

Political career

In 1750 Harnett became involved in public affairs when he was elected Wilmington town commissioner. He was appointed a justice of the peace for New Hanover County by Governor Gabriel Johnston. Harnett was elected to represent Wilmington in the Province of North Carolina House of Burgesses in 1754 and 1775. In 1765, Harnett became the chairman of the Sons of Liberty and was a leader in the resistance to the Stamp Act. In 1775–1776, he served as the first president of the North Carolina Provincial Council, or Council of safety, essentially the chief executive of the revolutionary state, although with limited powers. In 1776, he was excepted by Sir Henry Clinton from his proclamation of general amnesty. He was a member of the

for 1777–1779. He is a signatory to the

. Harnett was delegate from Wilmington to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th North Carolina Provincial Congress. He was a delegate from Brunswick County and Vice President of the Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress.

Notes

References

* Connor, Robert D. W. ''Cornelius Harnett;: An essay in North Carolina history'', 1971, Books for Libraries Press (). * Connor, Robert D. W. ''Revolutionary Leaders of North Carolina'', reprinted 1971 from 1916 edition. () Chapter 3: pp. 49–78. *

External links

Excerpt from "''Dictionary of North Carolina Biography''"
()

at the Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7189423/cornelius-harnett {{DEFAULTSORT:Harnett, Cornelius 1723 births 1781 deaths American deists Continental Congressmen from North Carolina Signers of the Articles of Confederation North Carolina patriots in the American Revolution People from Chowan County, North Carolina Politicians from Wilmington, North Carolina American slave owners Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses American justices of the peace North Carolina Council of State Members of the North Carolina House of Burgesses Founding Fathers of the United States 18th-century American merchants

Personal life

Political career

See also

Notes

References

External links