Eleanor Finch
Alexander Martin (1740-1807) was a North Carolinian politician and delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention. He was a proponent of the Federal Constitution and supported its ratification. However, he left the Federal Convention early and did not sign the Constitution. Martin's political views were nuanced, and despite running for election as a Federalist, he often voted against the Federalists in the 1790s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Alexander Martin |
| Birth Year | 1738 or 1740 |
| Birthplace | New Jersey |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Role in the Constitution | Witnessed the Regulator Rebellion, the Revolutionary War, and the North Carolina ratification debates; Delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention; Supported the ratification of the Federal Constitution |
| Signature on the Constitution | No |
| Reason for Not Signing | Left the Federal Convention early |
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What You'll Learn
Alexander Martin's role at the Federal Constitutional Convention
Alexander Martin was a North Carolinian politician and delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention. He was born in New Jersey in 1738 or 1740 and had a long political career before becoming a delegate.
In 1773, Martin was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons, serving until 1774 when he became a judge of the Salisbury District. When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, he joined the Continental Army as a lieutenant colonel and was promoted to colonel the following year. In 1778, while still recuperating from his military service, Martin was elected to the North Carolina Senate. He went on to serve as Acting Governor of North Carolina from 1781 to 1782 and then as Governor from 1782 to 1785.
In 1787, the General Assembly elected Martin as a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The purpose of this convention was to address the difficulties faced by the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation. Martin arrived in Philadelphia before the start of the convention and stayed until late August, a few weeks before its conclusion.
During the convention, Martin played a minor role in the debates and was not appointed to any committees. He seconded several minor motions, but none of them significantly influenced the convention's outcome. Martin left the Federal Convention early and, as a result, did not sign the Constitution.
After the Constitutional Convention, Martin continued his political career. He sought election to the Hillsborough Constitutional Convention in 1788, where North Carolina considered ratifying the Constitution. He was again elected governor in 1789 and served until 1792 when he reached the term limit. During his second gubernatorial term, Martin established the University of North Carolina. After leaving the governor's office, he joined the U.S. Senate, where his voting record indicated nuanced political views. While he had supported the ratification of the Federal Constitution, he often voted against the Federalists in the 1790s.
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Martin's political views
Alexander Martin (1740–1807) was a North Carolinian politician and delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention. He was born in New Jersey and moved to Salisbury, North Carolina, where he worked as a merchant and later as an attorney.
Martin's role as a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention was not particularly notable. He seconded several minor motions, none of which significantly impacted the convention. He left the convention early and did not sign the Constitution.
Martin's tenure as governor of North Carolina was more eventful. He resisted popular pressure to confiscate and redistribute Tory and Loyalist property, instead advocating its return to all but the most infamous Tories. He also established the University of North Carolina during his second gubernatorial term.
Martin's legislative record indicates that he was a politician with nuanced views who was willing to vote against his party when he felt it was necessary.
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Martin's military career
Alexander Martin was an infantry officer in the American Revolutionary War. Born in New Jersey in 1740, he moved to North Carolina in around 1760, establishing himself as a merchant and lawyer in Salisbury. By 1774, he had become a judge of the Salisbury District. When the American Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel under Colonel Robert Howe. He was promoted to colonel over the 2nd North Carolina Regiment when Colonel Howe was promoted to Brigadier General. The regiment joined George Washington's Continental Army on November 28, 1775.
During the Battle of Germantown in October 1777, thick fog caused Martin and his soldiers to mistake British troops for Continental soldiers. Following this incident, Martin faced a court-martial for cowardice. Although he was not convicted, he resigned from the army due to stress and poor health on November 22, 1777. Despite this, Martin's brief military career during the Revolution was marred by controversy, and he was later court-martialled for cowardice. He was acquitted but resigned his commission and returned to North Carolina.
In 1778, while still recuperating from his military service, Martin was elected to the North Carolina Senate. His tenure in the Senate was notable as he served as president of the Senate's Board of War. In 1781, he became the acting governor of North Carolina when the incumbent governor, Thomas Burke, was kidnapped by Tories. Martin resisted popular pressure to confiscate and redistribute Tory and Loyalist property, instead advocating for its return to all except for North Carolina's most infamous Tories.
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Martin's legal career
Alexander Martin was born in New Jersey in 1740 and graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees from Princeton University. He then moved to Salisbury, North Carolina, where he worked as a merchant and then as an attorney.
By 1774, Martin had become a judge of the Salisbury District. When the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, he joined the army as a lieutenant colonel under Colonel Robert Howe. In April 1776, he was promoted to colonel over the 2nd North Carolina Regiment. However, in October 1777, at the Battle of Germantown, Martin and his soldiers mistook British troops for Continental soldiers due to thick fog. As a result, Martin faced a court-martial for cowardice but was not convicted. Nonetheless, he resigned from the army in November 1777 due to stress and poor health.
In 1778, while still recuperating from his military service, Martin was elected to the North Carolina Senate. His tenure in the Senate was eventful; he served as president of the Senate's Board of War and, in 1781, became acting governor of North Carolina when the sitting governor, Thomas Burke, was kidnapped. The following year, in 1782, the General Assembly elected Martin governor of North Carolina. During his gubernatorial term, Martin resisted popular pressure to confiscate and redistribute Tory and Loyalist property, instead advocating its return with exceptions for North Carolina's more infamous Tories.
After his gubernatorial term ended, Martin returned to the General Assembly and became the speaker of the Senate. In 1787, he was elected as a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where the difficulties of the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation were discussed. However, Martin played a minor role in the debates, seconded a few minor motions, and left the convention early, resulting in him not signing the Constitution.
In 1788, Martin sought election to the Hillsborough Constitutional Convention, where North Carolina considered ratifying the Constitution. Despite being a proponent of the Federal Constitution, he faced a wave of Anti-Federalist sentiment in his home county and lost the election. Martin's political views were nuanced; while he supported the ratification of the Federal Constitution, he often voted against the Federalists in the 1790s. He was voted out of the Senate in 1799 due to losing support from North Carolina Federalists. However, he returned to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1804 and became the speaker of the North Carolina Senate again in 1805.
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Martin's personal life
Alexander Martin was born in 1740 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, to James Hugh Martin and Jane Hunter of Ireland. Some sources state that he was born in 1738. He graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree from Princeton University (then called the College of New Jersey), making him one of the most educated delegates to the Constitutional Convention. After graduating from Princeton, he moved to Salisbury, North Carolina, where he worked as a merchant and later as an attorney.
Martin's political career began as a judge of the Salisbury District in 1774. When the American Revolutionary War broke out, he joined the Continental Army as a lieutenant colonel under Colonel Robert Howe. He was promoted to colonel in 1776 but resigned from the army in 1777 due to stress and poor health after facing a court-martial for cowardice.
In 1778, while still recuperating from his military service, Martin was elected to the North Carolina Senate. He served as president of the Senate's Board of War and, in 1781, became the acting governor of North Carolina when the sitting governor was kidnapped. In 1782, he was officially elected governor and served until 1785. During his gubernatorial tenure, he established the University of North Carolina.
In his personal life, Martin began a lifelong affair with Elizabeth (Lewis) Strong, the widow of Thomas Strong of Virginia, in the early 1780s. Their only known child, Alexander Strong Martin, was born in 1787. By 1789, Elizabeth and their son had moved into Martin's Danbury estate in Rockingham County.
After his gubernatorial term ended, Martin returned to the General Assembly and became the speaker of the Senate. In 1787, he was elected as a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. However, he left the convention early and did not sign the Constitution. Despite this, he supported the ratification of the Federal Constitution and ran for election as a Federalist.
In 1789, Martin was re-elected as governor and served until 1792 when he reached the term limit. After his second gubernatorial term, he joined the U.S. Senate. However, his political views became more nuanced in the 1790s, and he often voted against the Federalists. As a result, he lost the support of North Carolina Federalists and was voted out of the Senate in 1799.
Martin returned to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1804 and became the speaker of the Senate once again in 1805. He died in 1807, leaving behind a legacy as a Founding Father of the United States and a framer of the U.S. Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Alexander Martin did not sign the Constitution. He was a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, but he left the convention early and did not sign the document.
Alexander Martin left the Federal Convention early and did not sign the Constitution because he played a minor role in the debates and was not appointed to any committees. He only seconded a few minor motions.
Alexander Martin's decision not to sign the Constitution may have been due to his nuanced political views. While he supported the ratification of the Federal Constitution, he often voted against the Federalists in the 1790s. His actions reflect the concerns of some delegates about the power of the Constitution without a Bill of Rights.
The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates out of 55 who attended the Constitutional Convention. The signers included Benjamin Franklin, the oldest at 81, and Jonathan Dayton, the youngest at 26.
