Biography

07/21/1738 - 04/08/1813

Robert Whitehill (Democratic-Republican10) Cumberland County 1801-1805

Early Life:

Robert Whitehill, born July 21, 1738, Pequea, Lancaster County, Province of Pennsylvania, British Colonial America; son of James and Rachel Cresswell Whitehill; common school education; settled, Cumberland County; delegate, Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention, approved, United States Constitution, 1787; Delegate, council of safety, 1777; unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1788; delegate, Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention, 1789-1790; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1790; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1790; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1791; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1794; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1794; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1795; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1796; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1797; elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1797-1798; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1798-1799; elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1799-1801; elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1801-1805; Speaker of the Senate, 1804; unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1804; elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, Special Election, 1805-1813; married, Eleanor Reed Whitehill, children, Joseph Whitehill, John Whitehill, James Whitehill, Rachel Whitehill McBeth, Mary Whitehill, Eleanor Whitehill; died, April 8, 1813, (age 74 years, 261 days), Lowther Manor, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; interment, Silver Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Hampden Township, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

Delegate, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention, ratified, United States Constitution, 1787.

Delegate, council of safety, 1777. 

Unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, Pennsylvania, 1788.

Delegate, Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1789-1790. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1790. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, Cumberland and Mifflin Counties, 1790.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1791.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1794.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, 1794. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1795.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1796. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, 1797.   

Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1797-1798.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1798-1799. 

Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Cumberland County, 1799-1801.

Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 10th district, Cumberland County, 1801-1805; Speaker of the Senate, 1803-1804 during the impeachment trials of the supreme court judges of Pennsylvania. 

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1804.

Elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, Nineth Congress, Special Election, vacancy, death, John A. Hanna; reelected, Tenth, Eveleth, Twelfth, Thirteen, Congresses, 1805-1813.

Legacy:

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Pennsylvania; December 12, 1787.

In the Name of the People of Pennsylvania

Be it Known unto all Men that We the Delegates of the People of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in general Convention assembled Have assented to, and ratified, and by these presents Do in the Name and by the authority of the Same People, and for ourselves, assent to, and ratify the foregoing Constitution for the United States of America. Done in Convention at Philadelphia the twelfth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

Uncle, James Whitehill, United States House of Representatives, Thirteen Congress, 1813 – 1815. 

Brother, John Whitehill, United States House of Representatives, Eighth-Nineth Congresses, 1803-1807. 

Son in law, General John Kean, Jr., Pennsylvania State Senate 6th district, Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1794-1801 5th district, Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1802-1805.

John Kean Jr. - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members W". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu) 

Robert Whitehill (1738-1813) - Find a Grave Memorial