Hiester, Joseph, 1752-1832

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Joseph Hiester was a merchant, soldier, and politician from Pennsylvania during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1752 to German immigrants living in Pennsylvania. As a young man, Hiester worked as a clerk in Whitman's general store in Reading, PA and subsequently married the owner's daughter, Elizabeth Whitman, in 1771.

Hiester served in the Revolutionary War and was a commander in the battle of Long Island in 1776 when he was captured and held for three months by the British. After being discharged from the military, he became a politician, serving in the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1780-1790, and in the Pennsylvania Senate from 1790-1794. His membership in the United States House of Representatives lasted from 1797-1805.

Hiester continued politics until his death in 1832, becoming the Governor of Pennsylvania from 1820-1823. Periodically throughout his life Hiester owned a general store.

From the description of Daybook, 1796. (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 122574106

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Person

Birth 1752-11-18

Death 1832-06-10

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SNAC ID: 2536935