Representative Jesse Slocumb

Jesse Slocumb (August 20, 1780 – December 20, 1820) was an American farmer and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina from 1817 until his death in 1820. A member of the Federalist Party, he represented North Carolina’s 4th congressional district during a significant period in the early national republic, participating in the legislative process and the evolving democratic institutions of the United States.

Slocumb was born on a plantation near Dudley in Wayne County, North Carolina, on August 20, 1780. He was the son of Revolutionary War patriots Colonel Ezekiel Slocumb (1750–1840) and Mary Hooks Slocumb (1760–1836). His mother gained renown for her actions during the American Revolution, particularly for her role associated with the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in 1776, where she distinguished herself in support of the patriot cause. Raised in this environment of post-Revolutionary North Carolina, Slocumb grew up in a family closely identified with public service and the struggle for American independence.

After completing preparatory studies, Slocumb engaged in agricultural pursuits. He operated a plantation located about six miles southeast of what later became Goldsboro, North Carolina. His work as a planter placed him among the agrarian class that formed the backbone of the state’s economy in the early nineteenth century, and it provided the local prominence and economic stability that underpinned his later public career.

Slocumb entered public life through local offices in Wayne County. He held several county-level positions and became a member of the court of pleas and quarter sessions, a key local governing and judicial body in North Carolina at the time. From 1802 until 1808, he served as register of deeds for the county, overseeing the recording of land transactions and other legal instruments. These roles gave him practical experience in local administration and law, and helped establish his reputation as a public official within his community.

Building on his local service, Slocumb was elected as a Federalist to the United States House of Representatives to succeed William Gaston as the representative of North Carolina’s 4th congressional district. He served in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses, from March 4, 1817, until his death on December 20, 1820. As a member of the Federalist Party representing North Carolina, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office, representing the interests of his constituents during a period marked by debates over economic policy, internal improvements, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states. Following his death in office, he was succeeded by William S. Blackledge.

Slocumb married Hannah Gray Green (1787–1848), the daughter of Joseph Green. Together they had several children, including Julia Ann Slocumb, who married David Bunting; Harriet Adeline Slocumb (1809–1875), who married Hiram Wildman Husted (1802–1868); John Charles Slocumb (born 1811), who married Rachel R. Wright; and Junius Greene Slocumb (born 1815), who married Mary L. Boon. Through these family connections, the Slocumb family remained intertwined with other prominent families in North Carolina and beyond.

While serving in Congress, Jesse Slocumb died of pleurisy in Washington, D.C., on December 20, 1820. He was interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, a burial place for many members of Congress who died in office during the early years of the republic. His death placed him among the early group of United States legislators who did not complete their terms, and his congressional service and family legacy linked him to both the Revolutionary generation and the formative decades of the United States government.