Robert Alexander (c. 1740 – 1805) was an American planter, lawyer, and

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

political leader 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 Revolut ...

. He was a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

for

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in 1776.

Background

Robert Alexander was born on his family's estate at ''Head of Elk'' in

Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was n ...

about 1740. He was educated to the law and admitted to the bar, and practiced in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. From 1774 to 1776, he attended the Annapolis Convention as a representative of

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

. He also represented Baltimore in the state's ''Committee of Safety''. On December 9, 1775 the Convention named Alexander one of their delegates to the

. He attended sessions starting in January 1776, and on January 16 the Congress added him to their ''Secret Committee''. Then in April he was added to the Marine Committee. He was re-elected, 4 July 1776, but soon after the promulgation of the Declaration of Independence he sailed for England with other Baltimore loyalists. In August 1777, after British forces had landed at Head of Elk, he was visited at his home, first by

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

on the 27th, and then by British

General Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three brot ...

three days later. When the British moved north towards

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

he accompanied them, and was never to return. By the summer of 1778, when Howe abandoned the occupation of Philadelphia, Alexander fled to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, and made his way to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1782. In 1780, the State of Maryland judged Alexander guilty of

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

, and seized most of his property. His estate became the town of

Elkton, Maryland Elkton is a town in and the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,443 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It was formerly called Head of Elk because it sits at the head of na ...

, although the wife he had abandoned was allowed to keep the main house that his father had built in 1735. The house still stands, and is located at 323 Hermitage Drive in Elkton. Alexander died in exile in

on November 1805.

References

External links

Alexander's Congressional Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Robert 1740 births 1805 deaths Year of birth uncertain Continental Congressmen from Maryland 18th-century American politicians American planters People from Elkton, Maryland

Background

References

Further reading

External links