Representative Charles Goldsborough

Charles Goldsborough (July 15, 1765 – December 13, 1834) was an American lawyer, legislator, and Federalist statesman who served as the 16th Governor of Maryland in 1819 and represented Maryland in the United States Congress for six consecutive terms. He was born at “Hunting Creek,” near Cambridge in Dorchester County, Maryland, into a prominent Eastern Shore family. Little is recorded about his early childhood, but his upbringing on a Tidewater plantation placed him within the social and political milieu that produced many of Maryland’s early leaders.

Goldsborough pursued an academic course and attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the new nation. He graduated in 1784, at a time when the United States was still organizing its governmental structures under the Articles of Confederation. Following his graduation, he began the study of law, preparing for a professional and public career that would span several decades.

In 1790, Goldsborough was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law. Early in his career he held several local political offices, establishing himself in public life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He was elected to the Maryland State Senate, serving his first term from 1791 to 1795. After a brief interval out of that body, he returned to the State Senate and served again from 1799 to 1801. Through these state legislative roles he became identified with the Federalist Party, which advocated a strong national government and commercial development, positions that aligned with many of Maryland’s mercantile and professional interests.

Goldsborough’s state-level experience led to his election to the national legislature. As a member of the Federalist Party representing Maryland, he contributed to the legislative process during six terms in office. He was elected as a Federalist to the Ninth and to the five succeeding Congresses and served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1805, to March 3, 1817. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the Embargo and Non-Intercourse Acts, rising tensions with Great Britain, and the War of 1812. During these years he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Maryland constituents in debates over foreign policy, trade, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

While serving in Congress, Goldsborough also gained recognition in intellectual circles. In 1814 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society, reflecting his standing among contemporaries interested in the preservation of American history and letters. After leaving Congress in 1817, he remained a respected figure in Maryland politics and was chosen to serve as Governor of Maryland in 1819. As the 16th Governor, his tenure came at a time when the state was adjusting to postwar economic conditions and the evolving party system that would soon supplant the Federalists.

In 1820, following his brief gubernatorial service, Goldsborough retired from public life and returned to private pursuits. He moved to his estate near Cambridge, where he lived as a country gentleman and continued to be regarded as a leading figure in the community. His family connections extended his influence into subsequent generations. His daughter Maria married Virginia planter and politician William Henry Fitzhugh, son of patriot and planter William Fitzhugh, thereby linking the Goldsborough family to prominent Virginia political and landed interests. Charles Goldsborough was also the great-grandfather of Thomas Alan Goldsborough, who later served in Congress and as a federal judge, and of Winder Laird Henry, who likewise became a member of Congress from Maryland.

Goldsborough died at “Shoal Creek” near Cambridge on December 13, 1834. He was interred at Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland. His career, spanning local office, the Maryland State Senate, six terms in the United States Congress, and the governorship of Maryland, placed him among the notable Federalist leaders of his generation and linked his family to a continuing tradition of public service in both Maryland and Virginia.