Joseph Alston was born on January 1, 1779 in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, United States. He was the eldest child of Mary (Ashe) Alston, daughter of Gen. John Ashe of North Carolina, and of Col. William Alston, rice-planter of All Saints' Waccamaw, "sometime captain" in the command of General Francis Marion, and founder of the single "1" branch of the Alston family of South Carolina.
Alston was prepared for college by private tutors. He entered the junior class of Princeton in 1795, but left the next year without graduating. He then studied law in the office of Edward Rutledge, but soon after being admitted to the bar abandoned the profession for planting and an active career in politics.
Alston entered the lower house of the South Carolina legislature in 1802, and continued, with the exception of the session of 1804, to occupy a seat in that body until 1812. For the greater part of the period from 1805 to 1809 he served as speaker. In 1812, after a bitterly contested campaign, he was elected governor and entered at once upon an administration, 1812-1814, which was distinguished by its vigorous measures in support of the War of 1812.
The influence of father upon son-in-law has been greatly overemphasized in what has been written about the former, but it is not to be denied that the connection with the Burrs was in the end the determining factor in Alston's life. In 1806 he was drawn into "Burr's Conspiracy, " a fact which his enemies never forgot. If, however, Burr actually entertained thoughts of dismembering the Union, it is improbable that Alston was cognizant of them.
It is true that in his haste to deny that he had been party to treasonable designs, he was led into a somewhat unbecoming repudiation of Burr; but at the moment he had good grounds to suspect the latter of double-dealing, and he later made amends by zealously aiding the Colonel to establish his innocence. According to Harman Blennerhassett, whose fortune was swept away by the failure of Burr's schemes, Alston had guaranteed him against losses to the extent of $50, 000 but later refused to reimburse him beyond the amount of $12, 500. Blennerhassett, however, never produced convincing proof of his claim, though he several times threatened a public exposure.
Alston was notable for his service as the 44th Governor of South Carolina and 12th Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives; he was also a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Georgetown Parish and the South Carolina House of Representatives from Christ Church Parish. Alston also became one of the wealthiest planters in South Carolina.
Alston was a member of the Democratic-Republican party.
On February 2, 1801, Alston married Theodosia Bartow Burr, the talented daughter of Aaron Burr. In June 1812 Alston's only child, Aaron Burr Alston, died at the age of ten.
