| Abner Nash |
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Information AboutAbner Nash |
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Nash was born in Prince Edward County , Virginia . He read law and was admitted to the bar in Virginia. He also began his political career there, serving in the House Of Burgesses from 1761 to 1765 , before moving to New Bern, North Carolina . Nash was an active supporter of the revolutionary cause. He represented New Bern in the rebel " Provincial Congress " assembled from 1774 , and in 1776 was a member of the committee that drafted the state's new Constitution . He became a member of the North Carolina House Of Commons in 1777 (serving as the first Speaker of that house) and the State Senate in 1779 . He was elected Governor by the legislature in 1781 . During his brief tenure as governor, North Carolina saw some of its worst conflicts as a battleground in the American Revolutionary War . Unlike his brother Francis , his temper and poor health weren't suited to the needs of war. This brought him into difficulty with the legislature. The assembly appointed Richard Caswell as commander-in-chief of the militia, even though the constitution assigned this responsibility to the governor. Then in December of 1781 they named a ''Council Extraordinary'' that further encroached on his office. He resigned and went home in the spring of 1782 . Thomas Burke was named to replace him. Later in 1782 , North Carolina eased political tensions by sending Nash as a delegate to the Continental Congress . He would serve there the rest of his life, as he died at a session in New York City . Abner was originally buried in St. Paul's Churchyard in Manhattan, but his body was later returned for burial in a private, family plot in Craven County, North Carolina . His son, Frederick Nash , was also a lawyer and political leader. He would serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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