Richard Bassett (April 2, 1745 – September 15, 1815) was an American politician, attorney, slave owner and later abolitionist, veteran of 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 ...

, signer of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

, and one of the Founding Fathers of America. He also served as

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from Delaware, chief justice of the Delaware Court of Common Pleas, governor of Delaware and a United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit.

Education and career

Born on April 2, 1745, in Cecil County,

Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an Kingdom of England, English and later British colonization of the Americas, British colony in North America from 1634 until 1776, when the province was one of the Thirteen Colonies that joined in supporting the A ...

British America British America collectively refers to various British colonization of the Americas, colonies of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and its predecessors states in the Americas prior to the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War in 1 ...

, Bassett pursued preparatory studies, then read law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

. By concentrating on agricultural pursuits as well as religious and charitable concerns, he quickly established himself amongst the local gentry and "developed a reputation for hospitality and philanthropy." He was a member of the Delaware constitutional conventions of 1776 and 1792. He was a member of the Council of Safety in

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

, Delaware from 1776 to 1786. He served in the Delaware State Militia as a company captain of the Dover Light Horse Regiment from 1777 to 1781. He was a member of the Delaware Legislative Council (now the Delaware Senate) in 1782. He was a member of the Delaware House of Representatives in 1786. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and was a signer of the

. He was a member of the Delaware convention which ratified the

in 1787. He was in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware from 1787 to 1789. Bassett was elected to the

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

from Delaware and served from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793, first as a member of the Anti-Administration Party and later as a member of the Pro-Administration Party. Due to his name coming first alphabetically out of all 20 senators who commenced their first term on 4 March 1789, Bassett is the most senior senator to have served in the United States Senate. Bassett was chief justice of the Delaware Court of Common Pleas from 1793 to 1799. He was governor of Delaware from 1799 to 1801. Bassett was nominated by President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

on February 18, 1801, to the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit, to a new seat authorized by 2 Stat. 89. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court.

Later life and death

Close Up of Plaque on Richard Bassett grave

After leaving the federal bench, Bassett became a planter in Cecil County. While he was a slave owner, after converting to Methodism in the 1780s, he freed his slaves and campaigned for the state of Delaware to abolish slavery. He died on September 15, 1815, on his estate ''Bohemia Manor'' in Cecil County.Some sources give his place of death as Kent County, Delaware. He was initially interred in Cecil County, and in 1865 his remains were re-interred in Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

Legacy

Bassett was the grandfather of Richard H. Bayard and James A. Bayard Jr., both United States senators from Delaware. Bassett Street in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, is named in Bassett's honor. Bassettown, now Washington, Pennsylvania, was named in Bassett's honor by his cousin David Hoge.

Note

References

Sources

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Images

National Portrait Gallery
''portrait courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.''

External links

*
Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States

Judges of the United States Courts

in ''Soldier-Statesman of the Constitution'' at the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bassett, Richard 1745 births 1815 deaths Founding Fathers of the United States People from Cecil County, Maryland People from colonial Maryland People from colonial Delaware Signers of the United States Constitution Anti-Administration Party United States senators from Delaware Pro-Administration Party United States senators from Delaware Delaware Federalists Governors of Delaware Federalist Party state governors of the United States Members of the Delaware House of Representatives Delaware state senators Delaware Court of Common Pleas judges Judges of the United States circuit courts United States federal judges appointed by John Adams Delaware lawyers People from Dover, Delaware 18th-century American judges 19th-century Delaware state court judges Delaware militiamen in the American Revolution Burials at Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery United States senators who owned slaves 19th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly 18th-century United States senators