Thomas Forrest
Encyclopedia
Thomas Forrest was an American
politician. He was member of the 16th
Session of the United States Congress
, and first chairman of the United States House Committee on Agriculture
. He fought in the Continental Army
as an artillery officer during the American Revolutionary War
.
. During the American Revolutionary War was commissioned a captain in Col. Thomas Proctor’s Pennsylvania Artillery October 5, 1776, promoted to major
March 3, 1777, and lieutenant colonel
December 2, 1778. He resigned October 7, 1781.
Forrest was elected as a Federalist
to the Sixteenth Congress. He served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture during the 16th United States Congress
.
The Committee on Agriculture was created on May 3, 1820. The population of the country was about 9 million and there were 213 Representatives in the House. Seven of these Representatives, under the chairmanship of Forrest were assigned to the new committee. Six other States were represented in this group: Maryland
, New Hampshire
, New York
, South Carolina
, Vermont
, and Virginia
. (The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
was founded December 9, 1825.)
He was again elected as a Federalist to the 17th United States Congress
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Milnor
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1822
.
He died in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1825. His portrait by Charles Willson Peale
hangs in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician. He was member of the 16th
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
Session of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and first chairman of the United States House Committee on Agriculture
United States House Committee on Agriculture
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
. He fought in 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...
as an artillery officer during 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...
.
Career
Forrest was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. During the American Revolutionary War was commissioned a captain in Col. Thomas Proctor’s Pennsylvania Artillery October 5, 1776, promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
March 3, 1777, and lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
December 2, 1778. He resigned October 7, 1781.
Forrest was elected as a Federalist
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
to the Sixteenth Congress. He served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture during the 16th United States Congress
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
.
The Committee on Agriculture was created on May 3, 1820. The population of the country was about 9 million and there were 213 Representatives in the House. Seven of these Representatives, under the chairmanship of Forrest were assigned to the new committee. Six other States were represented in this group: Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. (The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
The Committee of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition and...
was founded December 9, 1825.)
He was again elected as a Federalist to the 17th United States Congress
17th United States Congress
The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Milnor
William Milnor
William Milnor was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania and Mayor of Philadelphia....
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1822
United States House election, 1822
The United States House of Representatives elections in 1822, like all U.S. House elections prior to 1872, were held in various states over the course of a long election season. The first state to hold congressional elections for the 18th Congress was Louisiana on July 1–3, 1822, and the last state...
.
He died in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
in 1825. His portrait by Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
hangs in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
External links
- Committee History can be found here: http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/hist.html
- The Political Graveyard