Daniel Hiester (June 25, 1747 – March 7, 1804) was an American political and military leader from the Revolutionary War period to the early 19th Century. Born in

Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading, the fourth-most populous city in the state. The ...

in the

Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...

, he was a member of the

Hiester Family The Hiester family was a German American political and military dynasty. The family still has relatives alive today with widely ranging professions. Noted members of the family include: * John Hiester (1745-1821) US Congressman *Daniel Hiester (17 ...

political dynasty. He was the brother of

John Hiester John Hiester (April 9, 1745October 15, 1821) was an American military and political leader from the Revolutionary War era to the early 19th century.

and

Gabriel Hiester Gabriel Hiester (1749–1824) was an American political and military leader from the time of the American Revolution to the early-19th century, and was a member of the Hiester Family political dynasty. A brother of John Hiester and Daniel Hies ...

, cousin of

Joseph Hiester Joseph Hiester (November 18, 1752June 10, 1832) was an American politician, who served as the fifth governor of Pennsylvania from 1820 to 1823. He was a member of the Hiester family political dynasty, and was a member of the Democratic-Republica ...

, and the uncle of William Hiester and U.S. Rep.

Daniel Hiester (1774–1834) Daniel Hiester (1774March 8, 1834) was an American political leader from Pennsylvania. Daniel was a member of the Hiester family political dynasty. He was the son of John Hiester and nephew of U.S. Rep. Daniel Hiester (17471804) and Gabriel Hi ...

Biography

Hiester's father, also named Daniel Hiester, emigrated from

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

in 1737 and settled in Goshenhoppen (now Bally),

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, afterward purchasing a tract of several thousand acres in Berks County. After completing his education, the young Hiester engaged in the mercantile business in

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadel ...

. He owned slaves as well. During the

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 ...

, Hiester served as a colonel and later a brigadier general of the Pennsylvania

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

. He was a member of the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

from 1778 to 1781. In 1784 he was elected to the supreme executive council of Pennsylvania, and later in 1787 he was appointed as a commissioner to negotiate the Connecticut land claims dispute. Hiester was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

representing

, serving from March 4, 1789, until his resignation on July 1, 1796. He then moved to

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's List of municipalities in Maryland, sixth-most popu ...

, and was again elected to the House representing

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, serving from March 4, 1801, until his death in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, on March 7, 1804. He was among the number that voted to move the U.S. capital from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

to a place on the Potomac later named

He was buried in Zion Reformed Graveyard in

and has a cenotaph at the

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...

in Washington.

Notes

References

*
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hiester, Daniel 1747 births 1804 deaths Politicians from Berks County, Pennsylvania People from colonial Pennsylvania Hiester family Pennsylvania Dutch people Anti-Administration Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Biography

See also

Notes

References