John Rea (January 27, 1755 – February 26, 1829) was an early 19th-century American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. Rea was born at "Rea’s Mansion," near

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the ...

Rea served as lieutenant and captain with the

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

during the Revolutionary War. On October 20, 1784, Rea was commissioned the first coroner of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Soon after, he was elected to Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1785, 1786, 1789, 1790, 1792, 1793, 1801, and 1802. Also, Rea was the county auditor in 1793 and 1794. He was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

for the state of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

to the Eight Congress and also served in the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1810). He then served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

as major general of the Eleventh Division of Militia. Following the death of Robert Whitehill, Rea was elected to the Thirteenth Congress, and served from May 11, 1813 until March 3, 1815. He then became a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, serving in 1823 and 1824, when he resigned. Rea died in

, on February 26, 1829. He is currently buried at Rocky Spring Churchyard, near

External links

The Political Graveyard
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rea, John 1755 births 1829 deaths Pennsylvania state senators Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives American militia generals Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution People from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania People of colonial Pennsylvania