Who Signed The Constitution? Richard Dobbs Spaight's Signature

Richard Dobbs Spaight (1758-1802) was an American Founding Father, politician, planter, and signer of the United States Constitution. He served as a Democratic-Republican U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 10th congressional district from 1798 to 1801 and was the eighth governor of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795. Spaight was orphaned at the age of eight and sent to live with relatives in Northern Ireland before attending the University of Glasgow. During the American Revolutionary War, he served as an aide to Major General Richard Caswell at the Battle of Camden. Spaight was a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution and signed the document at the age of 29.

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Richard Dobbs Spaight was a signer of the US Constitution

Richard Dobbs Spaight, born on March 25, 1758, in New Bern, North Carolina, was an American Founding Father, politician, planter, and signer of the United States Constitution. Orphaned at eight, Spaight was sent to live with his relatives in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, and later attended the University of Glasgow. During the American Revolutionary War, Spaight returned to North Carolina and served as an aide to Major General Richard Caswell at the Battle of Camden.

Spaight's political career began in 1779 when he was elected as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, serving until 1783. From 1782 to 1785, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was then elected to the North Carolina House of Commons, serving from 1785 to 1787. In 1787, Spaight was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, which drafted the United States Constitution. At the young age of 29, he signed the historic document, becoming one of the Founding Fathers of the nation.

Spaight played a significant role in North Carolina's early history. He was the first native-born governor of the state, serving from 1792 to 1795. During his tenure, he was instrumental in selecting the sites for the new state capital of Raleigh and the University of North Carolina, serving as the university's board chair. Spaight also served in various educational, civic, and religious roles, including positions at the New Bern Academy, Kinston Academy, and Christ Episcopal Church.

After his term as governor, Spaight continued to be active in politics, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1798 to 1801. He later ran for the North Carolina Senate in 1802 but was defeated by Federalist Congressman John Stanly. Tragically, a duel ensued between the two on September 5, 1802, resulting in Spaight's mortal injury and subsequent death on September 6, 1802. Spaight's legacy is honoured with a street named after him in Madison, Wisconsin, alongside other signers of the United States Constitution.

He was 29 when he signed the document

Richard Dobbs Spaight was born in New Bern, North Carolina, on March 25, 1758. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to live with relatives in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, before later attending the University of Glasgow in Scotland. After graduating, Spaight returned to North Carolina, where he served as an aide to Major General Richard Caswell during the American Revolutionary War.

Spaight first entered politics in 1779 as a member of the North Carolina Assembly, a position he held until 1783. He served in the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1785 and was a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1785 to 1787. In 1787, he was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution, and he signed the document at the age of 29.

Spaight was a strong supporter of the Constitution and spoke eleven times in favour of its ratification at the 1788 state convention in Hillsborough. Despite his efforts, North Carolina voted against ratification that year. However, the publication of the debates helped secure ratification of the Constitution the following year in Fayetteville.

In addition to his political career, Spaight was involved in educational, civic, and religious affairs. He held positions at the New Bern Academy, Kinston Academy, and Christ Episcopal Church. He also served as a trustee for the University of North Carolina until his death. Spaight passed away on September 6, 1802, from injuries sustained in a duel with Federalist congressman John Stanly.

Spaight was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention

Richard Dobbs Spaight was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the 1787 Constitutional Convention, which drafted the United States Constitution. Spaight was just 29 years old when he signed the document, making him one of the youngest signers of the Constitution.

Spaight's involvement in the independence movement began in 1778, and he served as an aide to Major General Richard Caswell during the American Revolutionary War, which lasted until 1781. In 1779, he was elected as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, serving until 1783. During this time, he was also elected as a Continental Congress delegate, holding this position from 1782 to 1785. Spaight then served in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1785 to 1787 and was named speaker of the House during this time.

In 1787, Spaight was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, which was convened to draft a new constitution for the United States. The convention was attended by representatives from 12 of the 13 states (Rhode Island being the only state not in attendance) and lasted from May to September 1787. The delegates debated and negotiated the terms of the new constitution, which established a stronger federal government and outlined the rights and responsibilities of the states. Spaight was an active participant in these discussions and is known for proposing that US senators be elected by the state legislatures and that the presidential term of office be seven years.

After the Philadelphia Convention, Spaight continued to play a role in shaping the Constitution. In 1788, he was a member of the state convention in North Carolina, which voted against ratifying the Constitution. Despite his personal support for ratification, Spaight voted against it. However, he actively spoke in favour of the Constitution, delivering eleven speeches at the convention in Hillsborough. The publication of these debates is credited with helping secure the ratification of the Constitution in North Carolina the following year.

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He was a Democratic-Republican US Representative

Richard Dobbs Spaight was a Democratic-Republican US Representative for North Carolina's 10th congressional district from 1798 to 1801. He was also the eighth governor of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795, serving three one-year terms, the constitutional limit.

Spaight was born in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1758 and orphaned at the age of eight. He was sent to live with relatives in Northern Ireland and later attended the University of Glasgow. During the American Revolutionary War, he returned to North Carolina and served as an aide to Major General Richard Caswell at the Battle of Camden.

Spaight's political career began in 1779 when he was elected to the General Assembly of North Carolina. He served in this position until 1783, when he became a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1783 to 1785. He then served in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1785 to 1787 and was named speaker of the House. In 1787, he was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution, which he signed at the age of 29.

As a Democratic-Republican, Spaight held various political offices and played a prominent role in educational, civic, and religious affairs. He was a trustee of the University of North Carolina and supervised his farming operations, advertising for an "overseer who understands the cultivation of rice."

Spaight's political career was not without controversy. In 1800, he ran for the North Carolina Senate and was defeated by Federalist U.S. Congressman John Stanly. Stanly campaigned against Spaight as unworthy, and the two men engaged in a duel on September 5, 1802, in which Stanly mortally wounded Spaight, who died the following day.

Spaight died in a duel with John Stanly

Richard Dobbs Spaight, an American Founding Father, politician, planter, and signer of the United States Constitution, died on September 6, 1802, following injuries sustained in a duel with John Stanly. The duel, which took place the day before on September 5, 1802, was the culmination of a heated political rivalry between the two men, with Stanly challenging Spaight to a duel on the grounds of dishonour during the campaign for a legislative seat.

At the time of the duel, Spaight was running for the North Carolina Senate, and Stanly, a Federalist congressman, was campaigning against him. Stanly accused Spaight of political flip-flopping, questioning his loyalty and insulting him in public speeches and printed handbills. Spaight responded in kind, and a media blitz of insults ensued, with both men seeking to defend their honour. The two men met behind the Masonic Hall in New Bern, and after three unsuccessful rounds of fire, Stanly's fourth shot struck Spaight in the side, mortally wounding him. Spaight died the following day.

The duel led to murder charges being brought against Stanly by Spaight's influential friends, but Stanly avoided prosecution by appealing to Governor Benjamin Williams and invoking his sense of honour. The incident highlighted the southern culture of honour prevalent in elite men in North Carolina at the time, where life-or-death importance was attached to their reputations. The Stanly-Spaight duel was considered the most notorious affair of honour in the state's history, and it prompted the legislature to outlaw dueling in November 1802, imposing heavy fines and barring culprits from public office.

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