The Longest-Serving Inaugural Congressman - George Thatcher
George Thatcher was the longest serving original member of the House of Representatives.
Thatcher skyrocketed to fame when he began publishing under the name Scribble-Scrabble.
George Thatcher
When the Revolutionary War broke out, George Thatcher was a student at Harvard.
Like most of his classmates, Thatcher decided to finish his studies and graduated just as the Declaration of Independence was making its rounds.
George served briefly on a privateer ship, but life at sea was not for him and he worked as a schoolteacher while studying law under Shearjashub Bourne.
Scribble-Scrabble
Thatcher moved to Maine to settle and begin his career as a lawyer.
George began publishing political works, with his first under the pseudonym A Reasonable Christian arguing against State run religions.
After this, Thatcher took up the pen name Scribble-Scrabble and attempted to justify the extra-legal meetings taking place in Maine to discuss separating from Massachusetts (which until then counted Maine as its own).
Dark Horse
The writings of Scribble-Scrabble happened to coincide with similar meetings that led to Shays’ Rebellion.
Those who supported the rebels believed Thatcher to be on their side of things, while those who suppressed the rebellion understood he was more directly concerned with the meetings in Maine.
This situation made George a perfect compromise candidate and, despite never having held office, he was selected to attend the Continental Congress.
Congress
Thatcher sat in the Continental Congress for the final two years of its existence.
When the Constitution was ratified, and the new Government installed, George became a Federalist and was elected as an inaugural member of the US House of Representatives.
Thatcher remained in the House for twelve years. When he left in 1801 he was the lone remaining (and longest serving) original Congressman.
His time as a lawmaker won him the respect of the people of Massachusetts and when he returned home he was appointed to the State Supreme Court where he sat for 25 years.
This week’s free Reading of the Week is the introduction to The Insurgent Delegate..
Here are some other inaugural Congressmen:
James Jackson Receives the Keys to Savannah
Aedanus Burke Denounces American Nobility
There is a lot of interesting things Thatcher was involved in throughout his career.
From separation of church and state to resisting fugitive slave laws, to learn more about this amazing character check out ‘The Insurgent Delegate.’
If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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