Alexander Mebane, Jr. (November 26, 1744 – July 5, 1795) was a U.S. Congressman from the state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

from 1793 to 1795. He was also a brigadier general in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War.

Early life

Alexander Mebane, Jr. was one of twelve children born to Alexander Mebane, Sr. and Mary Tinnin. Born in Lancaster County in the Province of Pennsylvania, he moved to

Hawfields, North Carolina Hawfields is an unincorporated community in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. Hawfields was first populated by Ulster Irish and Western African immigrants as early as the 17th century but a firm establishment was not achieved until ...

, by the time his father received a land grant in 1754. Mebane attended common schools in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

. He served as a delegate to the Provincial Congress of North Carolina in 1776, was named justice of the peace in 1776, the first sheriff of Orange County under statehood in 1777, and auditor of the Hillsborough district in 1783 and 1784.

Military service

Alexander served in the following positions during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

: * Colonel in the Southern Orange County Regiment of militia (1776–1777) * Colonel over the Orange County Regiment of militia (1777–1780) * Commissary General for the State of North Carolina, with the rank of Brigadier General (1780–1783) * Colonel of the horse for the Hillsborough District (1788) * General of the Hillsborough District (1789)

Political career

Mebane was an

anti-federalist Anti-Federalism was a late-18th century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The previous constitution, called the Articles of Con ...

member of the conventions in Hillsborough in 1788 and in Fayetteville in 1789 which considered ratification of the United States Constitution. Mebane served in the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

from 1787 to 1792 and was elected to the

3rd United States Congress The 3rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Penn ...

in 1792, where he served one term (March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795). He was re-elected to the 4th United States Congress, but died before the term began. Mebane was one of the original trustees of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

Death

Alexander Mebane, Jr. died at Hawfields in Orange County, on July 5, 1795, shortly after he finished his first term in Congress. He is buried at First Hawfields Burying Ground, Cheeks Township, Orange County, North Carolina.

Mebane, North Carolina Mebane is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, and partly in Orange County. The town was named for Alexander Mebane, an American Revolutionary War general and member of the U.S. Congress. It was incorporated ...

is named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mebane, Alexander 1744 births 1795 deaths Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Militia generals in the American Revolution People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania People from Alamance County, North Carolina North Carolina sheriffs 18th-century American politicians North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Military personnel from Pennsylvania

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...