Archibald Alexander (1755 – September 12, 1822) was an American physician and politician from

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, near the city of New Castle. He was a veteran of 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 Revolut ...

and a member of the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

who served in the

Delaware General Assembly The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...

Early life

Alexander was born in 1755 in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

into an

Ulster-Scots Ulster Scots, may refer to: * Ulster Scots people The Ulster Scots ( Ulster-Scots: ''Ulstèr-Scotch''; ga, Albanaigh Ultach), also called Ulster Scots people (''Ulstèr-Scotch fowk'') or (in North America) Scotch-Irish (''Scotch-Airisch'') ...

family and moved to New Castle County, Delaware, when he was a small boy. He attended Newark Academy and studied medicine under Matthew Wilson. He was a member of the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. During the American Revolution, Alexander first served in the state militia but soon after joined the

10th Virginia Regiment The 10th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775, in western Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charlesto ...

of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

as a surgeon. After two years, he left the army to serve as a privateer out of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. Eventually his ship was captured and he was taken prisoner, serving out the remainder of the war in a prison ship in New York Harbor.

Career

After the war, Alexander returned to New Castle County and practiced medicine. He was also active in the

and was its first candidate for

Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

in 1795. He was able to carry heavily

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

New Castle County, but lost the remainder of the state and the election to

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

Gunning Bedford, Sr. A wealthy man, he was a supporter of banks and a founder of the

Farmers' Bank of Delaware Farmers' Bank of Delaware was the second bank chartered by Delaware. It operated from 1807 until 1981, when it was on the verge of bank failure and was acquired by Girard Bank. At that time, the bank had 28 branches. For most of its existence, the ...

. He also led the effort to have a controversial bridge built over the

Christiana River The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near i ...

Christiana, Delaware Christiana is an unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware, United States, located on the Christina River, 12 miles southwest of Wilmington. It is home to the Christiana Hospital and the Christiana Mall and is the location of the n ...

Death

Alexander died on September 12, 1822, in New Castle County. He is buried at the Immanuel Episcopal Church cemetery.

Public offices

Election results

References

* * * *

External links

* *History of Delaware 1609-188

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Archibald 1755 births 1822 deaths American Presbyterians American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain Continental Army officers from Delaware Delaware Democratic-Republicans Members of the Delaware House of Representatives Delaware state senators People from New Castle County, Delaware