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People of the Revolutionary War | The Founding Fathers - An Overview | Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr.
Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr. (1758-1802) - North Carolina
Image: Courtesy of Independence National Historical Park
Spaight was born at New Bern, NC of distinguished English-Irish parentage in 1758. When he was orphaned at 8
years of age, his guardians sent him to Ireland, where he obtained an excellent education. He apparently
graduated from Scotland's Glasgow University before he returned to North Carolina in 1778.
At that time, the War for Independence was in full swing, and Spaight's superior attainments soon gained him
a commission. He became an aide to the state militia commander and in 1780 took part in the
Battle of Camden, SC. The year before, he had been elected to the lower
house of the legislature.
In 1781 Spaight left the military service to devote full time to his legislative duties. He represented New
Bern and Craven County (1781-83 and 1785-87); in 1785 he became speaker. Between terms, he also served in
the Continental Congress (1783-85).
In 1787, at the age of 29, Spaight joined the North Carolina delegation to the Philadelphia convention. He
was not a leader but spoke on several occasions and numbered among those who attended every session. After
the convention, he worked in his home state for acceptance of the
Constitution.
Spaight met defeat in bids for the governorship in 1787 and the U.S. Senate 2 years later. From then until
1792, illness forced his retirement from public life, during which time he visited the West Indies, but he
captured the governorship in the latter year (1792-95). In 1793 he served as presidential elector. Two years
later, he wed Mary Leach, who bore three children.
In 1798 Spaight entered the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democratic-Republican and remained in office
until 1801. During this time, he advocated repeal of the
Alien and Sedition Acts and voted
for Jefferson in the contested election of 1800. The next year, Spaight was
voted into the lower house of the North Carolina legislature; the following year, to the upper.
Only 44 years old in 1802, Spaight was struck down in a duel at New Bern with a political rival, Federalist
John Stanly. So ended the promising career of one of the state's foremost leaders. He was buried in the family
sepulcher at Clermont estate, near New Bern.
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