Joseph Anderson
Encyclopedia
Joseph Inslee Anderson (November 5, 1757–April 17, 1837) was an American soldier, judge, and politician, who served as a United States Senator
from Tennessee
from 1799 to 1815, and later as the first Comptroller
of the United States Treasury. He also served as one of three judges of the Southwest Territory
in the 1790s, and was a delegate to the Tennessee state constitutional convention in 1796.
, the son of William Anderson and Elizabeth Inslee. In 1776, following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
, he enlisted in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment
of the Continental Army
, and rose to the rank of captain and paymaster in less than two years. Anderson fought at the Battle of Monmouth
, and was with the army during its difficult 1777 wintering at Valley Forge
. In 1781, he transferred to the 1st New Jersey Regiment, and fought with this unit at the Battle of Yorktown
.
At the end of the war, Anderson was discharged with the rank of major. Having studied law prior to the war, he was admitted to the Delaware
bar
, and practiced law in Delaware from 1784 to 1791.
appointed Anderson United States judge
of the newly formed Southwest Territory
. He served alongside David Campbell and John McNairy. No records of any of the trials presided over by Anderson survive, with the exception of a 1794 murder trial. This trial, conducted at the Tellico Blockhouse
, concerned an Indian charged with killing settler Joseph Ish.
In 1792, Anderson married Patience Outlaw, the daughter of Tennessee pioneer Alexander Outlaw. His wife's dowry included land along the Nolichucky River
in what is now Hamblen County (but then part of Jefferson
), where the Andersons built their home, Soldier's Rest.
In 1796, Anderson and his father-in-law represented Jefferson County at Tennessee's constitutional convention in Knoxville. Resolutions introduced by Anderson and Outlaw included a motion to sever ties with the United States if Tennessee's petition for statehood was rejected, a motion to implement viva voce
voting instead of balloting, and a motion to establish a unicameral legislature
, all of which were rejected. Anderson swore in the new state's first legislature later that year.
to fill the vacancy in the Senate created by that body's expulsion of the seat's original occupant, William Blount
. That term was scheduled to expire on March 4, 1799; however, on December 12, 1798, the Tennessee General Assembly elected Anderson to the state's other (Class 1) Senate seat, which had been vacated by Andrew Jackson
, and was temporarily held by Daniel Smith
. Anderson was reelected to this seat in 1803, and again in 1809. In the latter election, he defeated retiring governor John Sevier
by a vote of 23 to 16.
Anderson voted against a Senate proposal to have Blount arrested in 1797. He opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts
, federal intervention into the issue of slavery, and the rechartering of the national bank
. He voted in favor of the War of 1812
. In the Eighth Congress (1803–1804), he served as the Senate's president pro tempore
.
, and served in that office from 1815 until 1836. He died in Washington on April 17, 1837, and was interred in the Congressional Cemetery
.
, served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1840 to 1841, and helped organize the government of the State of California in the early 1850s. Another son, William, served in the state legislature, and a nephew, James Deaderick, served as a justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. Anderson County, Tennessee
, is named for Joseph Anderson.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1799 to 1815, and later as the first Comptroller
Comptroller of the Treasury
The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to...
of the United States Treasury. He also served as one of three judges of the Southwest Territory
Southwest Territory
The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee.The Southwest Territory was...
in the 1790s, and was a delegate to the Tennessee state constitutional convention in 1796.
Early life
Anderson was born at White Marsh, near Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the son of William Anderson and Elizabeth Inslee. In 1776, following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, he enlisted in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment
New Jersey Line
The New Jersey Line was a formation within the Continental Army. The term "New Jersey Line" referred to the quota of numbered infantry regiments assigned to New Jersey at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the...
of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, and rose to the rank of captain and paymaster in less than two years. Anderson fought at the Battle of Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
, and was with the army during its difficult 1777 wintering at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. In 1781, he transferred to the 1st New Jersey Regiment, and fought with this unit at the Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown may refer to:*Siege of Yorktown , last major battle during the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence*Battle of Yorktown , a battle during the Peninsula campaign of the American Civil War...
.
At the end of the war, Anderson was discharged with the rank of major. Having studied law prior to the war, he was admitted to the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
, and practiced law in Delaware from 1784 to 1791.
Early Tennessee politics
In 1791, President George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
appointed Anderson United States judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the newly formed Southwest Territory
Southwest Territory
The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee.The Southwest Territory was...
. He served alongside David Campbell and John McNairy. No records of any of the trials presided over by Anderson survive, with the exception of a 1794 murder trial. This trial, conducted at the Tellico Blockhouse
Tellico Blockhouse
The Tellico Blockhouse was an early American outpost located along the Little Tennessee River in Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee. Completed in 1794, the blockhouse operated until 1807 with the purpose of keeping the peace between nearby Overhill Cherokee towns and early Euro-American settlers in...
, concerned an Indian charged with killing settler Joseph Ish.
In 1792, Anderson married Patience Outlaw, the daughter of Tennessee pioneer Alexander Outlaw. His wife's dowry included land along the Nolichucky River
Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and east Tennessee. The river is long.-Hydrography:...
in what is now Hamblen County (but then part of Jefferson
Jefferson County, Tennessee
*...
), where the Andersons built their home, Soldier's Rest.
In 1796, Anderson and his father-in-law represented Jefferson County at Tennessee's constitutional convention in Knoxville. Resolutions introduced by Anderson and Outlaw included a motion to sever ties with the United States if Tennessee's petition for statehood was rejected, a motion to implement viva voce
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
voting instead of balloting, and a motion to establish a unicameral legislature
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
, all of which were rejected. Anderson swore in the new state's first legislature later that year.
United States Senate
In 1797, Anderson was elected by the Tennessee General AssemblyTennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
to fill the vacancy in the Senate created by that body's expulsion of the seat's original occupant, William Blount
William Blount
William Blount, was a United States statesman. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention for North Carolina, the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, and Democratic-Republican Senator from Tennessee . He played a major role in establishing the state of Tennessee. He was the...
. That term was scheduled to expire on March 4, 1799; however, on December 12, 1798, the Tennessee General Assembly elected Anderson to the state's other (Class 1) Senate seat, which had been vacated by Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, and was temporarily held by Daniel Smith
Daniel Smith (surveyor)
Daniel Smith was a surveyor, an American Revolutionary War patriot, and twice a United States Senator from Tennessee.-Biography:...
. Anderson was reelected to this seat in 1803, and again in 1809. In the latter election, he defeated retiring governor John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
by a vote of 23 to 16.
Anderson voted against a Senate proposal to have Blount arrested in 1797. He opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution's reign of terror and during an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War. They were signed into law by President John Adams...
, federal intervention into the issue of slavery, and the rechartering of the national bank
First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States is a National Historic Landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within Independence National Historical Park.-Banking History:...
. He voted in favor of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In the Eighth Congress (1803–1804), he served as the Senate's president pro tempore
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
The President pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate and the highest-ranking official of the Senate despite not being a member of the body...
.
Later life
After retiring from the Senate, Anderson was appointed Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury by President James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, and served in that office from 1815 until 1836. He died in Washington on April 17, 1837, and was interred in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
.
Legacy
Anderson's son, Alexander Outlaw AndersonAlexander O. Anderson
Alexander Outlaw Anderson was an American attorney who represented Tennessee in the United States Senate, and later served in the California State Senate, and on the California Supreme Court.-Biography:The son of longtime U.S...
, served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1840 to 1841, and helped organize the government of the State of California in the early 1850s. Another son, William, served in the state legislature, and a nephew, James Deaderick, served as a justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. Anderson County, Tennessee
Anderson County, Tennessee
Anderson County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, its population is 75,129. Its county seat is Clinton.It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, is named for Joseph Anderson.