Nathaniel Macon

Courtesy of North Carolina Archives

Nathaniel Macon was born 17 Dec 1757 in Macon Manor, Edgecombe (now Warren County), North Carolina and died at his home Buck Spring, Warren County, 29 June 1837. He was the son of Gideon Hunt Macon and Priscilla Jones. He married 9 Oct 1783, Hannah Plummer (b. 25 August 1760; d. 11 January 1790), daughter of William Plummer and Betsy Kemp, of Warren County. The children of Hannah and Nathaniel Macon were:

• Betsy Kemp Macon, b. 12 Sep 1784
• Plummer Macon, b. 14 Apr 1786; d. 26 Jul 1792
• Seignora Donald Macon, b. 15 Nov 1787

Nathaniel studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) from 1774 to 1776, served briefly in the New Jersey militia, and studied law in North Carolina for three years.
From 1780 to 1782, Nathaniel Macon was a private in the Continental Army, and then was elected to the North Carolina State Senate for three terms. He opposed the Constitution of the United States, believing it concentrated too much power in the central government.

Nathaniel Macon had an impressive political career:

• 1781, 1782, 1784 Elected to the North Carolina State Senate.
• 1785 Elected to the Continental Congress, but declined to serve.
• March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 Elected to the twelve succeeding Congresses.
• 1815 Elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Seventh through Ninth Congresses.
• Dec 5, 1815 Elected as a Republican to the United States Senate. Re-elected in 1819 and 1825. Resigned Nov 14, 1828.
• Served as President pro tempore of the Senate during the Nineteenth Congress; chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations (Fifteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses).
• 1825 Unsuccessful candidate for vice president of the United States.
• 1825-26 Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
• 1835 President of the State Constitutional Convention.
• 1836 Presidential Elector on the Democratic ticket.