Representative Joseph Egbert

Joseph Egbert (April 10, 1807 – July 7, 1888) was an American farmer and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1841 to 1843. Born on Staten Island, New York, he spent his life closely connected to the agricultural and local civic life of his native community. His early years were shaped by the rural character of Staten Island in the early nineteenth century, and he engaged in farming as his principal occupation, establishing himself as a member of the local agrarian community before entering public life.

Egbert received a common school education, typical of the period, which provided him with the basic academic foundation for his later public service. Growing up in what was then Richmond County, New York, he became familiar with the concerns of local farmers and residents, experience that would later inform his political positions and his representation of his constituents at both the county and national levels.

Before and after his service in Congress, Egbert was primarily a farmer, managing agricultural pursuits on Staten Island. His involvement in local affairs led to his selection for county office, and he became active in Democratic Party politics at a time when questions of economic policy, internal improvements, and states’ rights were central to public debate. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, Joseph Egbert contributed to the legislative process during his term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents.

Egbert was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-seventh Congress and served as a U.S. Representative from New York from March 4, 1841, to March 3, 1843. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the presidency of John Tyler, ongoing disputes over the national bank, and broader debates about federal economic policy. During this single term, he took part in the legislative work of the House of Representatives, representing the concerns of his New York district and contributing to the deliberations of the national legislature in accordance with Democratic principles of the era.

After leaving Congress, Egbert returned to Staten Island and resumed his agricultural pursuits, continuing to be identified primarily as a farmer. He remained engaged in local public service and was later elected to county office, serving as the county clerk of Richmond County, New York. In that role he was responsible for maintaining official county records and performing administrative duties central to local governance, further extending his record of public service beyond his time in the national legislature.

In his later years, Egbert continued to reside on Staten Island, where he maintained his ties to the community in which he had been born and had spent his working life. He died on July 7, 1888, on Staten Island, New York. His life reflected the trajectory of many nineteenth-century American politicians who combined agricultural livelihoods with periods of public service at both local and national levels, and his congressional term from 1841 to 1843 placed him among those who helped shape federal policy during a formative era in the nation’s political development.