Biography

1762 - 07/23/1805

Major General John André Hanna (R6) Berks and Dauphin Counties 1792-1794 

Early Life:

Major General John André Hanna, born 1762, Flemington, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, British Colonial America; son of Reverend John and Mary MeCrea Hanna; classical education; moved, Pennsylvania before the end of the war; Princeton College, 1782; studied law, admitted, Lancaster bar, 1783; delegate, Pennsylvania State Convention, to ratify, Federal Constitution, 1787; secretary, anti-Federal conference, 1788; elected, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1791-1792; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1792-1794; unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1792; elected, lieutenant colonel, Third Battalion of Dauphin County, 1792; appointed, Brigadier General, Dauphin County Brigade, 1793; elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, 1797-1805; appointed, major-general, sixth division, Pennsylvania Militia, Dauphin and Berks Counties, 1800; married, Mary Harris, daughter, Mary Reed Hanna; died, in office, United States House of Representatives, July 13, 1805 (aged 42–43), Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; interment, Harrisburg Cemetery (also known as, Mount Kalmia Cemetery), Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Studied law with former military colleague Stephen Chambers of Harrisburg, (then Lancaster County); admitted, Lancaster bar, 1783, one of Harrisburg’s first attorneys with Dauphin County’s formation.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Delegate, State convention, ratified the Federal Constitution, 1787. 

Secretary, anti-Federal conference, 1788. 

Member, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 1791-1792.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1792-1794. 

Elected, lieutenant colonel, Third Battalion of Dauphin County, 1792.  

Appointed, Brigadier General, Dauphin County Brigade, 1793; was in command during the Whisky Insurrection, 1793. 

Appointed, Governor McKean, major general, Sixth Division of Pennsylvania Militia, Dauphin and Berks Counties, 1800.  

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1792.

Elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th congresses, 1797-1805. 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Not currently available. 

Legacy:

Married, Mary Harris, daughter of Harrisburg’s founder, John Harris and Mary Reed Harris. Daughter, Mary Reed Hanna, married, Honorable John Tod of Bedford, Speaker, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1811-1812; Speaker, Pennsylvania State Senate,1814-1815; congressman, United States House of Representatives, 1821-1824.

Grandson, Archibald McAllister, Thirty-eighth Congress, 1863-1865; not a candidate for renomination, 1864. 

Cited:

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

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu)

John Andre Hanna (1762-1805) - Find a Grave Memorial