Henry Black (February 25, 1783 – November 28, 1841) was a Whig member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from

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 ...

Early life

Henry Black was born near the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Somerset, Pennsylvania Somerset ( ) is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,046 at the 2020 census. The borough is surrounded by Somerset Township and is located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-70 an ...

. He engaged in agricultural pursuits.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

He served as a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1816 to 1818. He was elected as a Democrat in 1816. He was a justice of the peace and appointed by the

Governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

as an associate judge of

Somerset County, Pennsylvania Somerset County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 74,129. Its county seat is Somerset, Pennsylvania, Somerset. ...

, from 1820 to 1840.

Electoral Tickets

Black was on the People's Ticket (electoral ticket) for the Election of 1828, in the 13th district (

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

for President and

Richard Rush Richard Rush (August 29, 1780 – July 30, 1859) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the 8th United States Attorney General from 1814 to 1817 and the 8th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1825 to 1829. He serv ...

for Vice President). He was also on the Whig Electoral Ticket for the 24th district in the Election of 1840.

United States House of Representatives

Black was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Ogle. The election was held on Tuesday, June 8, 1841. The vote for Black was approximately 2,703 with the opposition (party not named) getting 1,320 votes (Black receiving a majority of 1,383 more votes). The ''Daily Atlas'' lists the opposition candidate's name as "Pilson". (However, the same newspaper listed a "Mr. Philson of Somerset" as the opponent in the special election to replace Black after his death.)

Death

Black served in the House of Representatives until his death at his residence in Somerset in 1841. The cause of death was apoplexy.

Memorials

Interment in the family cemetery in

Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania Stonycreek Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township takes its name from the stony creek, which flows through it and represents its western boundary. The stream takes its name from the rocky bed over w ...

Cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

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 ...

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 Thursday, December 9, 1841, his colleague Representative Joseph Lawrence took to the House floor to announce Black's death and provide a eulogy. Lawrence stated that Black was well liked by anyone who came into contact with him. Lawrence indicated that Black was his childhood friend. Lawrence also stated that Black had been in good health the day before his death. Lawrence then submitted a resolution that crepe should be worn in honor of Black's death. The resolution was adopted. According to the Philadelphia U.S. Gazette (reprinted in the Easton Gazette), he was virtuous and well liked.

Descendants

His son was

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Jeremiah S. Black Jeremiah Sullivan Black (January 10, 1810 – August 19, 1883) was an American statesman and lawyer. He served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1851–1857) and as the Court's Chief Justice (1851–1854). He also served in the ...

and his grandson was Pennsylvania Lt. Governor

Chauncey Forward Black Chauncey Forward Black (November 24, 1839 – December 2, 1904) was the third lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1883 to 1887. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1886. Biography Born in Glades, Pennsylvania ...

References

The Political Graveyard

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Henry 1783 births 1841 deaths Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives People from Somerset County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state court judges Burials at the Congressional Cemetery Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century people from Pennsylvania 19th-century Pennsylvania state court judges 19th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives