Richard Clough Anderson Jr. (August 4, 1788 – July 24, 1826) was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat from

Jefferson County, Kentucky Jefferson County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 782,969. It is the most populous county in the commonwealth (with more than twice the population of second ranked ...

. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky. He is the son of Richard Clough Anderson Sr. and the grandfather of Larz Anderson.

Early life

Anderson was born at

Soldier's Retreat Hurstbourne is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,216 at the 2010 census, up from 3,884 at the time of the 2000 U.S. census. It is part of the Louisville Metro Government. History The ...

near Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Richard Clough Anderson Sr., was a Revolutionary War Lt. Colonel in the 5th Virginia continentals, who led the advance of the Americans at the battle of Trenton (24 December 1776), crossing the Delaware River in the first boat. Anderson attended private schools, later graduating from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1804. He later studied law under Judge

St. George Tucker St. George Tucker (July 10, 1752 – November 10, 1827) was a Bermudian-born American lawyer, military officer and professor who taught law at the College of William & Mary. He strengthened the requirements for a law degree at the college, as he ...

and was admitted to the bar, practicing law in Louisville. His mother was Elizabeth Clark Anderson, of the Rogers Clark family. All of his uncles from his mother's side were military officers—five of them during the Revolutionary War. Two of his uncles had become quite famous: General

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

, hero of the taking of Fort Sackville at

Vincennes, IN Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur ...

, and considered to be the founder of Louisville, and Captain William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His younger brothers included civil war general Robert Anderson and Ohio Governor Charles Anderson.

Career

Anderson was elected to the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

in 1815 and then was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the United States House of Representatives in 1816 and 1818, serving in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses from March 4, 1817 through March 3, 1821. While in Congress, Anderson served as the chairman of the House Committee on Public Lands in the Sixteenth Congress. Anderson did not seek reelection to the House in 1820. He later served again as a member of the

in 1821 and 1822 and served as

Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentuc ...

in 1822. Anderson was appointed as the first United States Minister Plenipotentiary to the Gran Colombia on January 27, 1823. Prior to his departure, he sold several of his slaves to improve his finances. In 1824 he negotiated with Pedro Gual and concluded the Anderson–Gual Treaty, the first bilateral treaty that the U.S. signed with another

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

state. Anderson took his leave from his post on June 7, 1825, after being commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Panama Congress of Nations. Anderson died en route to his post in Turbaco, near Cartagena, Colombia on July 24, 1826. He is buried at Soldier's Retreat.Kleber, John E. ed., ''THE KENTUCKY ENCYCLOPEDIA'', Kentucky Bicentennial Commission, 1992, p.21

Legacy

Anderson County, Kentucky is named in his honor.

References

External links

biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Richard Clough Jr. 1788 births 1826 deaths College of William & Mary alumni Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Speakers of the Kentucky House of Representatives Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery Ambassadors of the United States to Colombia 19th-century American diplomats Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 19th-century American politicians