Thomas Rodney Journeys Down The Mississippi
Thomas Rodney was Chief Justice of the Mississippi Territory.
Rodney was appointed to this position after a career which included Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives and the Continental Congress.
Thomas Rodney
Thomas Rodney of Delaware lost his father while still an infant. Much of his upbringing was overseen by his brother, Caesar (a future signer of the Declaration of Independence) who was 16 years his senior.
Thomas was an intelligent young man who quickly proved his worth to the community. He was chosen as Justice of the Peace for his county at just 26 years old.
Soon after, Rodney was elected to shadow government which replaced the Royal Governor at the onset of the Revolutionary War. He was also chosen as a member of the Committee of Safety which oversaw the colony’s militia.
Continental Congress
After independence, Thomas Rodney was regularly elected to the State House of Representatives, eventually making his was up to Speaker.
Additionally, he was chosen as one of Delaware’s representatives to the Continental Congress. However, he missed several sessions to attend to business in his home State.
This was a notable problem with Congress, especially after the war ended. Most delegates were more concerned with State issues than National ones. This led to very low attendance rates and, since unanimous approval was needed to pass any laws, things rarely got done.
These types of absences were a major reason the Constitutional Convention was called to correct the Articles of Confederation.
Mississippi Territory
Eventually, Thomas Rodney’s renown as an effective Judge led to his selection to the Delaware Supreme Court as an Associate Justice.
Rodney only held this position for eight months, however, as he was chosen by President Jefferson to be Chief Justice of the Mississippi Territory. This Territory was much smaller than Mississippi currently is when Thomas arrived, but two years later would grow to encompass the modern State plus all of Alabama.
The reason for this growth was that the Mississippi Territory received all of Georgia’s western land claims. This is due to the Yazoo Land Scandal which, in brief, was a legal battle in the courts regarding Georgia’s government’s inappropriate sales of property.
The Trip
Rodney documented his trip to the West, leaving a vivid tale of his journey.
His party crossed Pennsylvania and ventured down the Ohio River. They stopped for a tour of Cincinnati and met briefly with Arthur St. Clair and Thomas Worthington. As they traveled down the Mississippi, they saw Spanish forces (as the western bank was still owned by that country).
Thomas’ journal is one of the most detailed accounts we have of the United States along the Mississippi River at the turn of the 19th century.
Rodney took up residence in Natchez, MI. He became a leading citizen of the city and passed away after eleven years of service.
For other Founders on the Southwestern frontier, you should read about Fulwar Skipwith and Richard Butler.
To read Rodney’s account of his travels (with modern annotations), pick up a copy of ‘A Journey Through The West’ from the affiliate link below.
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