Representative Joshua Coit

Joshua Coit (October 7, 1758 – September 5, 1798) was an eighteenth-century American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Connecticut. A member of the Federalist Party and, earlier, the Pro-Administration Party, he played a notable role in the early legislative history of the United States during three consecutive terms in Congress.

Coit was born on October 7, 1758, in New London in the Connecticut Colony. He was educated in the local common schools of New London before pursuing higher education at Harvard College. He graduated from Harvard in 1776, at the close of the colonial period and on the eve of American independence, placing him among the early college-educated leaders of the new nation.

After completing his studies at Harvard, Coit turned to the law. He studied law in Connecticut, was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law in New London in 1779. Establishing himself as a practicing attorney in his native town, he became part of the emerging professional class that helped shape the legal and political institutions of the post-Revolutionary era.

Coit entered public life as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives. He served in that body in 1784 and 1785, again from 1789 to 1790, and then in 1792 and 1793. During his legislative service in Connecticut, he held important procedural and leadership roles, serving as clerk during several terms and rising to the position of speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1793. His repeated elections and advancement within the state legislature reflected his growing influence and the confidence placed in him by his colleagues.

Building on his state-level experience, Coit was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Pro-Administration Party candidate to the Third Congress. He was subsequently reelected as a Federalist Party candidate to the Fourth and Fifth Congresses, representing Connecticut in the national legislature. His service in Congress extended from March 4, 1793, until his death in 1798, encompassing three full terms during a formative period in American political development. As a member of the Federalist Party representing Connecticut, he contributed to the legislative process during these three terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents at a time when the new federal government was defining its powers and responsibilities.

During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Coit held a significant committee leadership position. In the Fifth Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Elections, a key body responsible for examining the credentials of members and resolving contested elections. In this role, he was directly involved in shaping the procedures and precedents governing the composition and integrity of the House, further underscoring his importance in the early Congress.

Joshua Coit’s congressional service was cut short by his death in office. He died on September 5, 1798, in New London, Connecticut, the town where he had been born, educated, and had practiced law. His service as a United States representative thus continued without interruption from March 4, 1793, until his death, marking him among the early members of Congress who died while still holding office.