Timothy Bloodworth
Pender County, Pender County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Timothy Bloodworth. U.S. Senator, 1795-1801; member, U.S. House, in First Congress, 1790-91. Opposed ratification of U.S. Constitution, 1788, 1789. Lived near here.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
A self-made patriot from North Carolina's Cape Fear region, Timothy Bloodworth rose to serve in the first U.S. Congress and later in the U.S. Senate from 1795 to 1801. He is best remembered as a leading Antifederalist who fought against ratifying the new U.S. Constitution in 1788 and 1789, fearing it handed too much power to a distant central government. His stance placed him at the heart of the great debate over how the young nation should be governed.
Why it matters
The ratification fights Bloodworth joined helped force the promise of a Bill of Rights and shaped the enduring American argument over federal versus states' power.
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