Date Died: August 31, 1823

Place Buried: National Park at Guilford Battleground,
near Greensboro, NC

Occupation: Soldier, Politician

Jesse Franklin was born on March 24, 1760 in Orange County, Virginia, the son of Barnard Franklin and Mary (Cleveland) Franklin.

Sometime between 1774 and 1776, Jesse Franklin moved with his parents to Surry County, NC. In 1777, this part of Surry County was carved out to form Wilkes County, and in this year he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Wilkes County Regiment of Militia. In 1780, he was promoted to Adjutant, then Captain under Col. Benjamin Cleveland (his uncle) and he led his company at the battles of Kings Mountain (10/4/1780), Haw River (2/25/1781), Dickey's Farm (2/26/1781), and Whitesell's Mill (3/6/1781). He was then promoted to Major under Col. Benjamin Cleveland, and was detached to serve under Lt. Col. James Miller and Col. Francis Locke at the battle of Guilford Court House (3/15/1781). He was NOT in the NC Continental Line as many historians assert, as does his headstone above.

In 1784, Jesse Franklin was first elected as one of two men to represent Wilkes County in the NC House of Commons of the:
- 8th General Assembly that met in April of 1784
- 9th General Assembly that met in October of 1784
- 10th General Assembly that met in 1785
- 11th General Assembly that met in 1786-1787
- 12th General Assembly that met in 1787

In December of 1789, Jesse Franklin was appointed to the Council of State under Gov. Alexander Martin.

In 1790, Jesse Franklin was again elected as one of two men to represent Wilkes County in the NC House of Commons of the:
- 15th General Assembly that met in 1790
- 16th General Assembly that met from 1791-1792
- 17th General Assembly that met from 1792-1793

In 1793, Jesse Franklin was first elected as one of two men to represent Surry County in the NC House of Commons of the:
- 18th General Assembly that met from 1793-1794
- 19th General Assembly that met from 1794-1795

In 1794, Jesse Franklin married Maria Ann "Meeky" Perkins, daughter of Hardin and Sarah Perkins of Rockbridge County, VA, and they had nine known children.

In 1795, Jesse Franklin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 4th U.S. Congress and served from March 4, 1795 to March 4, 1797.

In 1798, Jesse Franklin was again elected as one of two men to represent Surry County in the NC House of Commons of the:
- 23rd General Assembly that met in 1798

In 1799, Jesse Franklin was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 6th U.S. Congress and served from March 4, 1799 to March 4, 1805. Franklin served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate during the 8th Congress.

In 1805, Jesse Franklin was elected to represent Surry County in the NC Senate of the:
- 30th General Assembly that met in 1805
- 31st General Assembly that met in 1806

In 1807, Jesse Franklin was again elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1807 until March 4, 1813.

In 1816, General Andrew Jackson requested that Jesse Franklin be appointed a commissioner to negotiate with the Chickasaw Indians near the site of present-day Memphis.

On December 5, 1820, the General Assembly elected Jesse Franklin as the next Governor of North Carolina, and he served only one term until December 7, 1821. During his term as governor, the Canova statue of George Washington was placed at the State Capitol in a new addition containing a rotunda that was considered an appropriate area for displaying it. Gov. Jesse Franklin was considered to be conscientious and practical. He advocated Archibald D. Murphey's reforms in the treatment of criminals, including abolition of ear cropping.

Jesse Franklin died on August 31, 1823 in Surry County, NC. In 1906, his body was moved to the old National Park at Guilford battleground, near Greensboro, NC.

Jesse Franklin was the brother of Meshack Franklin, who also served in Congress. Jesse Franklin was born in Orange County, Virginia on March 24, 1760. He was the son of Bernard and Mary Franklin, the third of seven sons. Franklin moved to North Carolina with his father in 1774 and served as major during the Revolutionary War. During the war he was captured by Tories, but escaped. Franklin was in the battle of King's Mountain and served as Adjutant of Colonel Cleveland's battalion. (Cleveland was a relative of Franklin's.) He was also at the battle of Guilford Court House. He performed further service in partisan warfare against Tories in North Carolina, service that continued to the end of the war. In Greensboro there is a monument to Revolutionary War soldiers Joseph Winston, Jesse Franklin and Richard Taliaferro, the gift of Governor Thomas M. Holt.

He was a member of the state legislature in 1793-1794 and 1797-1798. He was elected to the Fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1797. Jesse Franklin was elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1799 to March 3, 1805. Franklin served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate during the Eighth Congress. Franklin served as a state senator in 1805-1806. In 1806 he was again elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1807 until March 3, 1813. During his second period as a Senator, Franklin was known as an advocate of Madison's war measures, and as an opponent of monopolies and central banks. Franklin was appointed a commissioner to negotiate with the Chickasaw Indians near the site of present-day Memphis in 1817, an appointment he accepted at the request of General Andrew Jackson.

He was Governor of North Carolina from 1820 to 1821. During his term as Governor, the Canova statue was placed at the state Capitol in a new addition containing a rotunda that was considered an appropriate area for displaying it. As Governor, Franklin was considered to be conscientious and practical. He advocated reform in the treatment of criminals, including abolition of ear cropping. Franklin died in Surry County, North Carolina on August 31, 1823. He was interred at the old National Park at Guilford battleground, near Greensboro.

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