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; elected, lieutenant colonel, Third Battalion of Dauphin County, 1792; appointed, Brigadier General, Dauphin County Brigade, 1793; was in command during the Whisky Insurrection, 1793; elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, 1797-1807; 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, ratify 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:

Elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, 1797-1807; 5th congress, 1797–1799, 6^th congress, 1799-1801, 7th congress, 1801-1803, 8th congress, 1803-1805, 9th congress, 1805-1807.

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, democrat, Thirty-eighth Congress, 1863-1865; not a candidate for renomination, 1864.

Cited:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28986312/john-andre-hanna

https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/h128nd70b