Joseph Haslet

Joseph Haslet (born 1769 in Milford , Delaware Colony , † June 20, 1823 in Kent County , Delaware) was an American politician and from 1811 to 1814 and again in 1823 governor of the state of Delaware.

Early years and political advancement

Joseph Haslet lost his parents at an early age and then came into the care of the Chief Justice of Delaware, William Killen . He sent him to Wilmington , where he completed an apprenticeship with a watchmaker. After Haslet came of age, he decided to go into agriculture. He bought and ran a farm in Sussex County .

Haslet was a member of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic Republican Party . In 1804 and 1807 he applied unsuccessfully for the office of governor of Delaware. On October 2, 1810, at the third attempt against his future successor Daniel Rodney, he made the leap to the highest office in his state.

Delaware Governor

Joseph Haslet took up his new office on January 15, 1811. His three-year term was overshadowed by the events of the British-American War , to which Delaware also had to contribute. He succeeded in persuading the legislature to approve the necessary means to equip the militia. During this war there was also fighting in Delaware in which parts of the state were occupied by the British. During this time, the Farmer's Bank of Delaware was founded.

Due to a constitutional clause, Haslet was not allowed to run for re-election in 1813. Therefore, he resigned from his office on January 18, 1814 and returned to work on his farm. In October 1822, however, after a tough election campaign and with a narrow majority, he was re-elected to this office. He became the first governor of Delaware to serve two non-contiguous terms. He was also the only candidate to run for gubernatorial elections four times. Haslet began his second term on January 21, 1823. However, he could only exercise this office until June 20, 1823, the day of his death. During these six months he has granted some pardons and appointed some new committees. Governor Joseph Haslet was married twice and had one child.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• The governors of Delaware (English)
• Joseph Haslet in the database of Find a Grave (English)