John Baptista Ashe was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from North Carolina.
Background
John Baptista Ashe was born in 1748 in Rocky Point, North Carolina, United States, the eldest son of Samuel and Mary (Porter) Ashe, and grandson of John Baptista Ashe.
His grandfather was a member of His Majesty's Council of North Carolina, his father was governor, and his uncle was Gen. John Ashe.
Education
Ashe was privately tutored at home, and later engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Career
Ashe served throughout the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), otherwise known as the American War of Independence, and attained the rank of colonel. He was at the battle of Alamance in 1771, and at the battle of Morris’ creek in February 1776. He was appointed a captain in the Sixth Continentals in April 1776, a major in January 1777, and lieutenant-colonel in November 1778. He served with credit throughout the war, and particularly distinguished himself at the hard-fought bloody battle of Eutaw Springs in September 1781.
He was a member of the State house of commons 1784-1786, serving as speaker of the house in 1786. He was a member of the Continental Congress in 1787 and served until 1 November 1787, when he resigned. He served as chairman of the committee of the whole in the State convention of 1789 that ratified the Constitution of the United States. He presided over all the deliberations of that body during the discussion of the instrument. He had opposed the adoption of the constitution without amendments, and like his father and brother-in-law, Willie Jones, was strongly imbued with the spirit of democracy.
During his career in the Continental and United States Congress he displayed the same untiring opposition to sectional power, that had characterized the name of Ashe. Fisher Ames of Massachusetts, was a Member of Congress with Ashe, and their views were antagonistic.
Ashe was also a tobacco grower. As of 1785, Ashe owned forty-eight slaves; by the time of the federal census of 1790, the total had risen to sixty-three. His tobacco was used in the making of cigars that were marketed under the name of “John Ashe”.
He was a member of the State senate in 1789, and was elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the First and Second Congresses serving from 24 March 1790 until 3 March 1793. In 1795, he was elected from Halifax to the Legislature, but then retired from public life. Three years after his father retired from the office of governor, he himself was elected. However, after signifying his acceptance, he died on 27 November 1802, before being inaugurated into the office. When his death was formally announced to the senate on 29 November, his successor in office, James Turner of Warren County, proposed a thirty day period of morning that was unanimously adopted.
Achievements
Connections
Ashe married early in life Eliza Montfort, daughter of Col. Joseph Montfort of Halifax, North Carolina. She was the lady who later made the famous if doubtfully courteous retort to Col. Tarleton when he was an unwelcome guest in the home of her sister, Mrs. Willie Jones.