Samuel Spencer

Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 7 dated events in the chronology →

1. September 9, 1775 Provincial Congress at Hillsborough elects a Provincial Council to govern between sessions On September 9, 1775, the Congress at Hillsborough elected a thirteen-member Provincial Council to direct the army and militia during its recess: Samuel Johnston for the province at large and two members for each of the six districts, among them Abner Nash and James Coor for New Bern and Thomas Person and John Kinchen for Hillsborough. People: Abner Nash, Samuel Johnston, Samuel Ashe, Willie Jones, Waightstill Avery, Thomas Person, Cornelius Harnett, John Kinchen, Samuel Spencer Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James CoorSearch the index · Colonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, Aug 20 to Sep 10, 1775 (vol. 10, pp. 164–220)
2. July 21, 1788 The convention names a select committee to draft its rules of debate On its first day the convention asked William R. Davie, Thomas Person, James Iredell, Elisha Battle, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Samuel Spencer and a member named McDonald to propose rules for its discussion of the Constitution. People: Thomas Person, James Iredell, Richard Dobbs Spaight, William Richardson Davie, Samuel Spencer Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Elisha BattleDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 19
3. July 25, 1788 Samuel Spencer argues that the Constitution's elections clause strikes at the state legislatures In his first long speech at the Hillsborough convention, Spencer called the clause giving Congress control over the time, place and manner of elections reprehensible because it took from the states a power over elections he believed was theirs, and said it looked toward a consolidated national government. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, pp. 71-72
4. July 28, 1788 Samuel Spencer objects to the reach of the federal courts at the Hillsborough convention Spencer objected to the federal courts' jurisdiction over all cases arising under the Constitution and federal laws and over suits between citizens of different states, warning that it would be oppressive and would carry people far from home in cases the state courts could decide. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 160
5. July 29, 1788 Samuel Spencer presses for a bill of rights at the Hillsborough convention Answering a Federalist claim that powers not granted were retained, Spencer argued that without an express bill of rights nothing marked the boundary the new government could not cross, and that the people would want one before accepting the Constitution. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 193
6. July 30, 1788 Samuel Spencer defends the Constitution's ban on religious tests for office When delegates complained that the Constitution required no religious test for office, Spencer argued for freedom of worship and against any established religion, saying religious tests had caused persecution everywhere and would shut conscientious people out of office. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 226
7. August 1, 1788 The majority votes to keep Iredell's ratification motion off the journal, then agrees to let it be offered as an amendment When Samuel Spencer moved to concur with the committee's report, Iredell moved to postpone it for his own resolution, and the house fell into confusion, with Whitmill Hill warning that the minority would secede. Willie Jones carried a motion that Iredell's motion had no right to a place on the journal, but while the yeas and nays were being taken the two sides agreed that Spencer would withdraw and Iredell would offer his resolution as an amendment. People: James Iredell, Willie Jones, Samuel Spencer Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Whitmill HillDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 275