Thomas Burke (''circa'' 1747December 2, 1783) was an Irish physician, lawyer, and statesman who lived in

Hillsborough, North Carolina The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina, United States and is located along the Eno River. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hillsb ...

. He represented

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 So ...

as a delegate to the

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and was the

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governor 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 ...

of the state. He was the first

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governor of North Carolina.

Biography

Burke was born in Tiaquin,

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, around 1747. By 1764, he had emigrated. Thomas went to

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 ...

and practiced medicine for several years. He studied law and began his practice in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. He became an early supporter 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 ...

, writing tracts in opposition to the Stamp Act. In 1774, he moved to Hillsborough, North Carolina. Burke's neighbors made him a member of the

Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress The Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress was the last of five extra-legal unicameral bodies that met beginning in the summer of 1774. They were modeled after the colonial lower house (House of Commons). These congresses created a governmen ...

that met in Halifax in 1776. He participated in the debate that led to North Carolina's new constitution. He was chosen as a delegate to the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

on December 20, 1776, and arrived in

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 ...

to take his seat on February 4, 1777. He was a strong states' rights advocate, although he moderated this view somewhat by 1781. In September 1777, most of Congress prepared to flee Philadelphia as the British advanced. Burke, instead, went to join General Nash's North Carolina troops defending the city. He was present at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Ame ...

before rejoining the Congress. Burke served in Congress until 1781, when he was chosen to be governor of North Carolina. He returned home to assume that office in June. As governor, he actively supported and encouraged the militia in its resistance to British and Loyalist forces. Then, in September, he was captured by Tories under the command of Col. David Fanning. After a failed rescue attempt by patriot militia under the command of

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at the

Battle of Lindley's Mill The Battle of Lindley's Mill (also known as the Battle of Cane Creek) took place in Orange County, North Carolina (now in Alamance County), on September 13, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War. The battle took its name from a mill that sat ...

, Burke was imprisoned by the British on James Island near

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. Burke was allowed to live freely on the island under parole, but he was subject to mistreatment and deplorable conditions and feared assassination. Finally, on January 16, 1782, he escaped and went to North Carolina. He wrote to the British that he still considered himself under the terms of his parole. He resumed his governor duties before being released from parole through an exchange. Accordingly, many North Carolinians and Continental officers considered that he had broken his word and remained under a cloud of dishonor. In April 1782, he did not stand for re-election to the governorship and was succeeded by Alexander Martin. Burke's health never recovered from his term of imprisonment. He retired to his home, known as Tyaquin, in Orange County]. He died there on December 2, 1783, and was buried on his plantation near Hillsborough. The gravesite is about 350 feet north of what is now Governor Burke Road. Burke was claimed to have been a practicing

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who succeeded politically in an era when Catholics held little political power and were often discriminated against.

Namesakes

Burke County, North Carolina Burke County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,570. Its county seat is Morganton. Burke County is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, is named for him.

References

Gravesite Photo and Details
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burke (North Carolina), Thomas 1747 births 1783 deaths 18th-century Irish people Continental Congressmen from North Carolina 18th-century American politicians Governors of North Carolina Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses Politicians from County Galway Kingdom of Ireland emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies American Roman Catholics American slave owners Burke County, North Carolina

Biography

Namesakes

See also

References