Richard Bassett (Delaware politician): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American Founding Father and politician (1745–1815)}}

{{Infobox_Politician

{{redirect| name = RichardSenator Bassett}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}}

| image = Richard bassett.jpg

{{Infobox officeholder

| caption =

| honorific-prefix =

| birth_date = [[April 2]], [[1745]]

| name = Richard Bassett

| birth_place = [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]]

| honorific-suffix =

| residence = [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware]]

| image = Richard bassett.jpg

| death_date = [[August 15]], [[1815]]

| alt =

| death_place = [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]]

| caption =

| office = [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator from Delaware]]<br>[[Governor of Delaware]]

| office = Judge of the [[United States circuit court|United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit]]

| salary =

| term_start = February 20, 1801

| term_end = July 1, 1802

| predecessornominator =

| appointer = [[List of federal judges appointed by John Adams|John Adams]]

| successor =

| predecessor = ''Seat established by 2 Stat. 89''

| party = [[United States Federalist Party|Federalist]]

| successor = ''Seat abolished''

| religion = [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]]

| office1 = [[List of governors of Delaware|4th Governor of Delaware]]

| constituency =

| term_start1 = January 9, 1799

| majority =

| term_end1 = March 3, 1801

| spouse = Ann Ennals<br>Betsy Garnett

| predecessor1 = [[Daniel Rogers (politician)|Daniel Rogers]]

| children =

| successor1 = [[James Sykes (governor)|James Sykes]]

| website =

| office2 = Chief Justice of the [[Delaware Court of Common Pleas]]

| footnotes =

| term_start2 = March 4, 1793

| term_end2 = January 15, 1799

| predecessor2 = ''Office established''

| successor2 = [[James Booth Sr.]]

| jr/sr3 = United States Senator

| state3 = [[Delaware]]

| term_start3 = March 4, 1789

| term_end3 = March 3, 1793

| predecessor3 = ''Office established''

| successor3 = [[John Vining]]

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = Richard Bassett

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1745|04|02}}

| birth_place = [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]],<br>[[Province of Maryland]],<br>[[British America]]

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1815|09|15|1745|04|02}}

| death_place = [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]]

| death_cause =

| resting_place = [[Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery]]<br>[[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], [[Delaware]]

| resting_place_coordinates =

| citizenship =

| nationality =

| party = [[Federalist Party|Federalist]]

| otherparty =

| height =

| spouse =

| partner =

| relations =

| children =

| parents =

| mother =

| father =

| relatives = [[Richard H. Bayard]] {{small|(grandson)}}<br>[[James A. Bayard Jr.]] {{small|(grandson)}}

| residence =

| education = [[read law]]

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| profession =

| known_for =

| salary =

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| signature = Signature of Delaware politician Richard Bassett.png

| signature_alt =

| website = <!--Embedded templates / Footnotes-->

| footnotes =

}}

'''Richard Bassett''' (April 2, 1745 – September 15, 1815) was an American politician, attorney, slave owner and later abolitionist, veteran of the [[American Revolution]], signer of the [[United States Constitution]], and one of the [[Founding Fathers]] of America.<ref>{{Citation|title=Congress slaveowners|date=2022-01-19|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2022/congress-slaveowners-names-list/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref> He also served as [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from Delaware, chief justice of the [[Delaware Court of Common Pleas]], [[List of governors of Delaware|governor of Delaware]] and a [[United States federal judge|United States circuit judge]] of the [[United States circuit court|United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit]].

==Education and career==

'''Richard Bassett''' ([[April 2]], [[1745]] &ndash; [[August 15]], [[1815]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer]] and [[politician]] from [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], in [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]], [[Delaware]]. He was a veteran of the [[American Revolution]], a delegate to the [[Philadelphia Convention|U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787]], and a member of the [[United States Federalist Party|Federalist Party]], who served in the [[Delaware General Assembly]], as [[Governor of Delaware]], and as [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator from Delaware]].

[[File:RICHARD BASSETT HOUSE, DOVER, KENT COUNTY, DELAWARE.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Richard Bassett House in [[Dover, Delaware]]]]

Born on April 2, 1745, in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Province of Maryland]], [[British America]],<ref name=FJC>{{FJC Bio|113|nid=1377531|name=Richard Bassett<!--(1745–1815)-->}}</ref> Bassett pursued preparatory studies, then [[read law]].<ref name=FJC/> He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in [[Delaware]].<ref name=CB>{{CongBio|B000226|inline=yes}}</ref> By concentrating on agricultural pursuits as well as religious and charitable concerns, he quickly established himself amongst the local gentry and "developed a reputation for hospitality and philanthropy."<ref name = soldierState>{{cite book| url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/bassett.htm| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120722040649/http://www.history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/bassett.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = July 22, 2012| title = Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution| id =CMH Pub 71-25| chapter = Richard Bassett| year =1987| ___location = Washington D.C.| publisher = [[United States Army Center of Military History]]| first1 =Robert K.| last1 = Wright Jr.|first2= Morris J.| last2 = MacGregor Jr.}}</ref> He was a member of the Delaware constitutional conventions of 1776 and 1792.<ref name=CB/> He was a member of the [[Committees of safety (American Revolution)|Council of Safety]] in [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], Delaware from 1776 to 1786.<ref name=FJC/> He served in the Delaware State Militia as a company captain of the Dover Light Horse Regiment from 1777 to 1781.<ref name=FJC/> He was a member of the Delaware Legislative Council (now the [[Delaware Senate]]) in 1782.<ref name=FJC/> He was a member of the [[Delaware House of Representatives]] in 1786.<ref name=FJC/> He was a delegate to the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|Constitutional Convention]] in 1787,<ref name=CB/> and was a signer of the [[United States Constitution]].<ref name=CB/> He was a member of the Delaware convention which ratified the [[Constitution of the United States|United States Constitution]] in 1787.<ref name=CB/> He was in private practice in [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], Delaware from 1787 to 1789.<ref name=FJC/>

Bassett was elected to the [[United States Senate]] from Delaware and served from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793, first as a member of the [[Anti-Administration party|Anti-Administration Party]] and later as a member of the [[Federalist Party|Pro-Administration Party]].<ref name=CB/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/chronlist.pdf|title=Senators of the United States 1789-present A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789|publisher=United States Senate}}</ref> Due to his name coming first alphabetically out of all 20 senators who commenced their first term on 4 March 1789, Bassett is [[Seniority in the United States Senate|the most senior senator to have served in the United States Senate]]. Bassett was chief justice of the Delaware Court of Common Pleas from 1793 to 1799.<ref name="FJC" /> He was governor of Delaware from 1799 to 1801.<ref name="FJC" />

==Early life and family==

Bassett was born [[April 2]], [[1745]] at Bohemia Ferry in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]], son of Arnold and Judith Thompson Bassett. His father was a tavern owner, but his mother was the great granddaughter of Augustine Herman, the original owner of Bohemia Manor, a massive estate in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]]. He first married in [[1774]] Ann Ennals and had three children, Richard Ennals, Ann or Nancy, and Mary. After her death he married Betsy Garnett and they had no children. They were members of the [[United Methodist Church|Methodist Church]].

Bassett was nominated by President [[John Adams]] on February 18, 1801, to the [[United States circuit court|United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit]], to a new seat authorized by 2 Stat. 89.<ref name="FJC" /> He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day.<ref name="FJC" /> His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court.<ref name="FJC" />

==Political career==

Bassett, who represented [[Delaware]] at the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention]], devoted most of his career to the service of his county and state. Reflecting the particular interests and needs of his region, he concentrated on agricultural matters, local military organization; and religious and charitable affairs. Only rarely and for the briefest periods during his adult life did he even travel outside the boundaries of [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]]. Yet at a key moment in his country's history, Bassett assumed an important role in advancing the cause of a strong central government. He led the fight for ratification of the [[United States Constitution]] in Delaware, an effort crowned on [[December 7]], [[1787]], when his state became the first to approve the new instrument of government.

==Later life and death==

Bassett's experiences as a politician and soldier during the [[American Revolution|Revolution]] broadened his political horizons. The war had demonstrated, even to a man whose concerns had seldom transcended the confines of his state, the need for greater regional and national cooperation for the mutual interest of every community and section. In Bassett's case, the war transformed him into an effective proponent of a truly cohesive union of all the states.

[[File:Richard Bassett Grave.jpg|thumb|Richard Bassett grave in [[Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery]]]]

[[File:Close Up of Plaque on Richard Bassett grave.jpg|thumb|Closeup of plaque on Richard Bassett's grave]]

After leaving the federal bench, Bassett became a [[Planter class|planter]] in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]].<ref name="FJC" />

While he was a slave owner, after converting to Methodism in the 1780s, he freed his slaves and campaigned for the state of Delaware to abolish slavery.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Delaware Campus Library Blogs » Richard Bassett|url=https://blogs.lawlib.widener.edu/delaware/tag/richard-bassett/|access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref>

==The Patriot==

Richard Bassett's life illustrates the economic and social opportunities that existed in colonial America. He was born in Cecil County, [[Maryland]]. His father, a part-time [[tavern]] keeper and farmer, abandoned his family when Bassett was a child. The young man had to depend on the assistance of his maternal relations, but with their help, he eventually became a [[lawyer]] and acquired a small plantation. In [[1770]] he moved to [[Dover, Delaware]], where he practiced law and pursued his agricultural interests. He quickly became a man of property, and began to move with ease in the social world of the local gentry, among whom he developed a reputation for [[hospitality]] and [[philanthropy]].

He died on September 15, 1815, on his estate ''Bohemia Manor'' in Cecil County.<ref group="Note">Some sources give his place of death as [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]], Delaware.</ref><ref name="CB" /><ref name="FJC" /> He was initially interred in Cecil County, and in 1865 his remains were re-interred in [[Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery]] in [[Wilmington, Delaware]].

Bassett's legal and charitable activities led naturally to politics. In [[1774]] he was elected by the voters of [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]] to serve as a member of its Boston Relief Committee. In this role Bassett helped to collect contributions for those suffering hardship as a result of the [[Coercive Acts]], a series of political and economic measures that [[Parliament]] had enacted to reassert its control over the colonies, but which the colonists interpreted as a blow to their liberties. The committee brought Bassett into close working relationship with the leaders of the local Patriot movement: [[Caesar Rodney]] (who would later sign the [[Declaration of Independence]]), his brother [[Thomas Rodney|Thomas]], and [[John Haslet (1727-1777)|John Haslet]], the future commander of the [[1st Delaware Regiment]]. This association led to further political responsibilities during the Revolution, when Bassett represented the citizens of his county in a variety of offices. He participated in the convention that drafted Delaware's constitution and served three terms in the state senate and one in the lower house of the [[state legislature]]. As a member of both the Delaware and Kent County Councils of Safety, which functioned as the executive arms of those political bodies, Bassett also had the opportunity to help manage the day-to-day fortunes of his state during the crucial years of the Revolution.

FART

==The soldierLegacy==

Bassett's close association with military affairs began early in [[1776]] when he helped plan the mobilization of Delaware's forces for service in the Revolution. He developed plans for the organization of Haslet's regiment (perpetuated by today's [[198th Signal Battalion]], Delaware Army [[United States National Guard|National Guard]]), the only unit of Continental regulars recruited in the state. Relying on his legal and political skills, he coordinated the all-important task of selecting officers for the regiment, measuring nominees against the military criteria of the day: patriotism, sufficient popularity to attract recruits, and military competence. Bassett's selections were clearly a success; Haslet's regiment was later judged among the very best combat units in Washington's command.

Bassett was the grandfather of [[Richard H. Bayard]] and [[James A. Bayard Jr.]], both United States senators from Delaware.<ref name=CB/>

Bassett was instrumental in raising a militia unit to serve as Delaware's contribution to the [[Flying Camp]], a mobile reserve that provided Washington with some 10,000 men who could be called forward to join the continentals holding New York City. He also helped organize Captain Thomas Rodney's [[Dover Light Infantry]], a company of volunteer [[militia]] which served in the Trenton-Princeton campaign late in [[1776]].

Bassett Street in [[Madison, Wisconsin]], is named in Bassett's honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/odd/archives/002071.asp|title=Origins of Madison Street Names at the website for Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref>

Later emergencies allowed Bassett to learn firsthand the responsibilities of the citizen-soldier. During the summer of [[1777]] the [[Great Britain|British]] entered the upper [[Chesapeake Bay]] with the objective of capturing [[Philadelphia]], the American capital. Under Washington's defense plan, Delaware mobilized its militia force under the command of General Caesar Rodney; its mission was to maintain a sector of the cordon thrown up between the approaching British and the capital by combined troops from the middle states. Rodney's units were also expected to delay any possible British drive south toward [[Baltimore]] until Washington's continentals could arrive on the scene. Although legally exempted from militia service because of his legislative position, Bassett nevertheless appears to have joined his friend Rodney in the field as a volunteer. The Delaware militia returned home after the British retired from the area, but Bassett continued as a part-time soldier, assuming command of the [[Dover Light Horse]], Kent County's militia cavalry unit.

Bassettown, now [[Washington, Pennsylvania]], was named in Bassett's honor by his cousin David Hoge.{{citation needed |date=April 2022}}

Bassett gained a great deal of practical experience and insight during his service in the Revolution. On one hand, he learned how to raise troops and supply them in the field so well that his state repeatedly called on him to manage its [[mobilization]]s. But as events propelled him from local leadership to a major role in state affairs, Bassett also came to appreciate the more general point that cooperation between the states was vital. Planning for the common defense against the British in [[1777]] required him to coordinate frequently with military leaders in [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Maryland]] as well as with the strategists in Washington's Continental Army. At the same time, his militia service demonstrated to him that sacrifices would be required from citizens of every economic and social level if the concept of the citizen-soldier was to remain effective. The war even seemed to have a profound effect on Bassett's personality, prompting him to adopt a simpler lifestyle. Gone was the ambitious social leader of the local gentry. Instead, a quiet, serious, and "most efficient" public servant emerged to deal with the state's postwar problems.

==The statesmanNote==

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

Designing a new national government for the victorious colonies posed a dilemma for politicians like Bassett who represented a small state. A strong central government might well promote economic prosperity and guarantee [[civil liberties]], but it might also subordinate the local interests of the smaller states to the overriding concerns of their larger, more populous neighbors. Bassett's wartime experiences, however, convinced him that the weak government created by the [[Articles of Confederation]] had to be strengthened. In [[1786]] he agreed to represent Delaware at the [[Annapolis Convention (1786)|Annapolis Convention]], a meeting called to discuss closer economic cooperation among the states. The Annapolis gathering resulted in a call to the states to meet in Philadelphia the next year to design a new government. Bassett again represented Delaware. Although he rarely addressed the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention]], Bassett strongly supported the [[Great Compromise]] advanced by his colleague [[John Dickinson (delegate)|John Dickinson]] and others. Designed to protect the rights of the small states, the compromise called for a national legislature that gave an equal voice to all thirteen states in a [[United States Senate|Senate]] composed of two representatives from each, but which respected the rights of the majority in a [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] based on population.

==References==

Actually, Bassett's major contribution to the cause of strong government was made after the Convention. The work of the Founding Fathers would clearly have come to naught if the new Constitution had failed to receive the approval of the states, and historians agree that Bassett was the most important leader in the fight to win [[ratification]] in Delaware. Here the political skills and personal alliances that he had forged during the Revolution came to the fore, enabling Bassett to convince his colleagues that a strong central government indeed supported the interests of the smaller states. He won their unanimous agreement just five months after the document had been drawn up in Philadelphia.

{{Reflist}}

==Sources==

Bassett's growing popularity in his state was then rewarded by his election to the new United States Senate. While he continued to support strong government, he allied himself with the moderate wing of the [[Federalist]] party that had gathered around Vice President [[John Adams]]. As a Senator, for example, he supported President Washington's right to control the internal workings of the executive branch through the power of dismissing appointed officials, but he opposed some of [[Secretary of the Treasury]] [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s more extreme proposals for advancing the powers of the presidency. Reflecting the continuing concerns of the small states, Bassett was the first to vote for locating the new national capital away from [[New York]] and Pennsylvania in an independent federal enclave on the banks of the [[Potomac River]]. Bassett's political interests had never strayed far from the affairs of his state. Even before ending his Senate service, he played a principal role, along with [[John Dickinson (delegate)|John Dickinson]], in drafting a new constitution for Delaware. In [[1793]] he began a six-year term as first chief justice of Delaware's court of common pleas, and in [[1796]] he served as a member of the [[Electoral College]] in the presidential election. Bassett followed his previous Federalist loyalties by casting his electoral vote for John Adams. In [[1799]] he was elected [[governor]]. Bearing in mind the lessons he had learned during the Revolution, Governor Bassett actively executed his responsibilities as commander in chief of the Delaware militia, working with veterans of the Continental Army to improve its organization. He was particularly conscious of the importance of leadership in a military unit and devoted much care to the selection and [[Commissioned officer|commissioning]] of militia officers as a means of ensuring the revitalization of his states military forces.

* {{cite book |title=History of the State of Delaware |last=Conrad |first=Henry C. |publisher=Wickersham Company |___location=Lancaster, Pennsylvania |year=1908 }}

* {{cite book |title=Democracy in Delaware |last=Hoffecker |first=Carol E. |publisher=Cedar Tree Books |___location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=2004 |isbn=1-892142-23-6}}

* {{cite book |author=Munroe, John A. |title=Federalist Delaware 1775–1815 |publisher=Rutgers University, New Brunswick |year=1954 }}

* {{cite book |title=History of Delaware Through its Governors |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=McClafferty Press |___location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1984 }}

* {{cite book |title=Memoirs of the Senate |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=Roger A. Martin |___location=Newark, Delaware |year=1995 }}

* {{cite book |title=History of Delaware 1609–1888. 2 vols |last=Scharf |first=John Thomas |publisher=L. J. Richards & Co |___location=Philadelphia |year=1888 |isbn=0-87413-493-5}}

==Images==

In early 1801, he was appointed to one of the [[United States circuit court]]s, as one of the so-called [[midnight judges]]. His tenure ended in 1802, when Congress repealed the amendments to the [[Judiciary Act of 1789]] which had created Bassett's positon. Bassett protested in a long letter to the ''[[Gazette of the United States]]'', later reprinted as a 50-page pamphlet; he was the only displaced judge to do so. He did not hold office thereafter.

* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000226 National Portrait Gallery]; ''portrait courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.''

==DeathExternal and legacylinks==

* {{FJC Bio|113|nid=1377531|name=Richard Bassett<!--(1745–1815)-->}}

Bassett died [[August 15]], [[1815]] at ''Bohemia Manor'' in [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil County]], [[Maryland]] and was first buried there. In [[1865]] his remains were moved to a Bassett and [[Bayard family|Bayard]] mausoleum in the Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery, [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], [[Delaware]].

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=9eca224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States]

{{CongBio|B000226}}

* [https://www.russpickett.com/history/bassbio.htm Biography by Russell Pickett]

* [https://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov1.htm#bassett Delaware's Governors]

* [https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/basset-bastin.html#R9M0IOW8J The Political Graveyard]

* [http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/tGetInfo?jid=113 Judges of the United States Courts]

* [https://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_founding_fathers_delaware.html National Archives]

* [http://www.history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/Bassett.htm Biography of Bassett] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128084534/https://history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/bassett.htm |date=November 28, 2020 }} in ''Soldier-Statesman of the Constitution'' at the [[United States Army Center of Military History]]

Bassett was a stout man of medium build. He was very fashionable and influential in society. At the [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention]] of [[1787]] he was described as "a man of plain sense" with "modesty enough to hold his tongue."

<br>

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Gunning Bedford Sr.]]}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Federalist Party|Federalist]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Delaware|Governor of Delaware]]|years=[[1798 Delaware gubernatorial election|1798]]}}

{{s-aft|after=[[Nathaniel Mitchell]]}}

{{s-par|us-sen}}

{{s-new|Seat}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States Senators from Delaware|United States Senator (Class 2) from Delaware]]|years=1789–1793}}

{{s-aft|after=[[John Vining]]}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Daniel Rogers (politician)|Daniel Rogers]]}}

{{s-new|reason= First Congress}}

{{s-ttl|title= [[UnitedList Statesof Senategovernors of Delaware|U.S.Governor Senator fromof Delaware<br>(class 2)]] |years= [[March 4]], [[1789]] &ndash; [[March 3]], [[1793]]1799–1801}}

{{s-aft|after= [[JohnJames Sykes M.(governor)|James ViningSykes]]}}

{{s-legal}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Daniel Rogers]]

{{s-new|reason=Seat established by 2 Stat. 89}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Delaware]]

{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the [[United States circuit court|United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit]]}}|years=1801–1802}}

|years= [[January 15]], [[1799]] &ndash; [[February 20]], [[1801]]}}

{{s-aft|after=[[JamesSeat Sykes (governor)|James Sykes, Jr.]]}} ]]abolished}}

{{s-end}}

==Public offices==

Before [[1831]] [[Delaware]] elections were held the first week of October. Members of the [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] took office on the twentieth day of October. The [[Delaware Senate|Legislative Council]] had a term of three years and the [[Delaware House of Representatives|House of Assembly]] had a term of one year. Three [[Delaware Senate|State Councilmen]] and seven [[Delaware House of Representatives|State Assemblymen]] were elected, at large, from each county. After [[1792]], the [[Governor of Delaware|Governor]] took office the third Tuesday in January, for a term of three years.

The [[Delaware General Assembly|General Assembly]] chose the delegates to the [[Philadelphia Convention|U.S. Constitution Convention]]. They also chose the [[United States Senators|U.S. Senators]], who took office the first week of March, and normally served for a six year term. However, Bassett's term was for only four years to establish a rotation.

{{start box}}

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| bgcolor=#cccccc | '''Type'''

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware Senate|State Council]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1776]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1776]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1779]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1779]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1780]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1780]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1780]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1781]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1781]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1781]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1782]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware Senate|State Council]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1782]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1782]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1785]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1786]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 20]], [[1786]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[October 21]], [[1787]]

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| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|U.S. Constitution]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|Convention]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]

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| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[May 14]], [[1787]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[September 17]], [[1787]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[United States]]

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| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[Legislature]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]

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| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[March 4]], [[1789]]

| bgcolor=#FFFFAA | [[March 3]], [[1793]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|State Constitution]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|Convention]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

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| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1791]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[November]] [[1792]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[June 12]], [[1792]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Delaware]]

|-

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Executive (government)|Executive]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[United States Federalist Party|Federalist]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[1798]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[January 15]], [[1799]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA | [[February 20]], [[1801]]

| bgcolor=#EEEEAA |

{{end box}}

===Election results===

{{start box}}

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Year

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Office

!

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Subject

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Party

!bgcolor=#cccccc |votes

!bgcolor=#cccccc |%

!

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Opponent

!bgcolor=#cccccc |Party

!bgcolor=#cccccc |votes

!bgcolor=#cccccc |%

|-

|[[1798]]

|[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]]

|

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA |Richard Bassett

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA |[[United States Federalist Party|Federalist]]

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA |2,490

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA |52%

|

|bgcolor=#CCFFCC |[[David Hall]]

|bgcolor=#CCFFCC |[[United States Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]]

|bgcolor=#CCFFCC |2,068

|bgcolor=#CCFFCC |44%

{{end box}}

==References==

*''American National Biography'', ''s''. "Richard Bassett"

*{{cite book | author=Hoffecker, Carol E. | title=Democracy in Delaware | publisher=Cedar Tree Books, Wilmington | year=2004 | id=ISBN 1-892142-23-6 }}

*{{cite book | author=Martin, Roger A. | title=Memoirs of the Senate | publisher=Newark | year=1995 |id= }}

*{{cite book | author=Munroe, John A. | title=History of Delaware | publisher=University of Delaware Press | year=1993 | id=ISBN 0-87413-493-5 }}

*{{cite book | author=Martin, Roger A. | title=A History of Delaware Through its Governors | publisher=McClafferty Press, Wilmington | year=1984 |id= }}

*{{cite book | author=Munroe, John A. | title=Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 | publisher=Rutgers University, New Brunswick | year=1954 | id= }}

*{{cite book | author=Scharf, John Thomas. | title=History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. | publisher=L. J. Richards & Co., Philadelphia |year=1888 |id= }}

*Pickett, Russell S. [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov1.htm#bassett Delaware and U.S. History].

===Images===

*Smithsonian Institution. [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000226 National Portrait Gallery].

==External links==

*U.S. Congress (2005). [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000226 Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress]. Retrieved December 24, 2005.

*The Political Graveyard. [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/basset-bastin.html#R9M0IOW8J Richard Bassett].

*Wright, Robert K & Morris J. MacGregor [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/RevWar/ss/Bassett.htm Richard Bassett] Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution

*Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace (1981). [http://www.trivia-library.com/b/people-races-ethnicity-in-the-u-s-czech-americans.htm The People's AlmanacPeople, Races, Ethnicity in the U.S.].

{{United States senators from Delaware}}

===Places with more information===

{{Governors of Delaware}}

*[http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone].

{{Constitution of the United States}}

*[http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/libraries/newark/library1.asp Newark Free Library] 750 Library Ave.,Newark Delaware [phone].

*[http://www.corbitlibrary.org/ Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library] 2nd and High St. Odessa Delaware [phone].

*[http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone].

{{Authority control}}

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! width=100% | <font size=3>[[United States Congress]]</font><br><small>[[United States Senate|Senate]] • [[:Category:United States Senators|Senators]] • [[:Category:Leaders of the United States Congress|Senate Leadership]] • [[List of United States Senate committees|Senate Committees]] • [[:Category:United States Senate elections|Senate elections]]<br>[[United States House of Representatives|House]] • [[:Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] • [[:Category:Leaders of the United States Congress|House Leadership]] • [[List of United States House committees|House Committees]] • [[:Category:United States House of Representatives elections|House elections]] • [[List of United States Congressional districts|Districts]]<br>[[1st United States Congress#Delaware|1st Congress]] • [[2nd United States Congress#Delaware|2nd Congress]] </small>

| rowspan=2 | [[Image:House large seal.gif|75px|center|Seal of the US House]]

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{{DEGeneral}}

[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:1745 births|Bassett, Richard]]}}

[[Category:18151745 deaths|Bassett, Richardbirths]]

[[Category:American1815 Methodists|Bassett, Richarddeaths]]

[[Category:DelawareFounding lawyers|Bassett,Fathers Richardof the United States]]

[[Category:DelawarePeople Statefrom Representatives|BassettCecil County, RichardMaryland]]

[[Category:DelawarePeople Statefrom Senators|Bassett,colonial RichardMaryland]]

[[Category:GovernorsPeople offrom Delaware|Bassett,colonial RichardDelaware]]

[[Category:Signers of the United States Constitution|Bassett, Richard]]

[[Category:Anti-Administration Party United States Senatorssenators from Delaware|Bassett, Richard]]

[[Category:Pro-Administration Party United States senators from Delaware]]

[[pl:Richard Bassett]]

[[Category:Delaware Federalists]]

[[uk:Бассет Ричард]]

[[Category:Governors of Delaware]]

[[Category:Federalist Party state governors of the United States]]

[[Category:Members of the Delaware House of Representatives]]

[[Category:Delaware state senators]]

[[Category:Delaware Court of Common Pleas judges]]

[[Category:Judges of the United States circuit courts]]

[[Category:United States federal judges appointed by John Adams]]

[[Category:Delaware lawyers]]

[[Category:People from Dover, Delaware]]

[[Category:18th-century American judges]]

[[Category:19th-century Delaware state court judges]]

[[Category:Delaware militiamen in the American Revolution]]

[[Category:Burials at Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery]]

[[Category:United States senators who owned slaves]]

[[Category:19th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly]]

[[Category:18th-century United States senators]]