Andrew McCord

Andrew McCord (c. 1754–1808), whose surname was often spelled “MacCord” in contemporary newspapers and public records, was a United States Representative from New York and a prominent Democratic-Republican legislator in the early years of the American republic. A member of the Republican (Democratic-Republican) Party, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives during a formative period in national politics, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his New York constituents.

McCord was born at Stony Ford in Orange County, New York, around 1754. He was the son of John McCord, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1729 to Cape Cod in the company of Charles Clinton, part of a notable migration that contributed to the early settlement of the Hudson Valley region. Raised in this milieu of immigrant and frontier communities, Andrew McCord attended the common schools and later studied at Newburgh Academy, receiving the type of practical education typical of aspiring local leaders in colonial and early national New York.

During the Revolutionary era, McCord became involved in the emerging structures of self-government in New York. On November 7, 1775, he served as a delegate to the convention at New Paltz, which was convened to choose deputies to the Second Provincial Congress of New York. This role placed him among those local figures who helped shape the colony’s political response to the escalating conflict with Great Britain and contributed to the transition from colonial governance to revolutionary authority.

Following the Revolution, McCord continued his public service through military and civic roles. On January 31, 1787, he was appointed quartermaster in the Ulster County Militia, a position that involved responsibility for supplies and logistical support. He later advanced to the rank of captain in the Ulster County Militia, a commission he held until his resignation on April 10, 1798. His militia service reflected the ongoing importance of local military organization in the postwar period and underscored his standing in the community.

McCord also pursued an active legislative career in New York State politics. He was elected multiple times to the New York State Assembly, serving in the sessions of 1795, 1796, 1798, 1800, 1802, 1806, and 1807. Over this extended period, he participated in shaping state laws and policies during a time of rapid growth and institutional development in New York. His colleagues recognized his leadership by electing him Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1807, one of the highest positions in the state legislature.

At the national level, McCord was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Eighth Congress, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. His congressional term extended from March 4, 1803, to March 3, 1805. Serving during the administration of President Thomas Jefferson, he took part in the federal legislative process at a time marked by debates over executive power, westward expansion, and the consolidation of the young republic’s institutions. As a member of the Republican Party representing New York, Andrew McCord contributed to the democratic process and the development of national policy during his single term in office.

After leaving Congress, McCord returned to private life and engaged in agricultural pursuits at his home near Stony Ford in Orange County. He continued to be identified with the agrarian interests that formed a core constituency of the Democratic-Republican Party, managing his farm and remaining part of the local community he had long served in military, legislative, and national capacities. Andrew McCord died at Stony Ford in 1808 and was buried in the family burying ground on his farm near his birthplace, closing a life closely tied to the political and social evolution of New York and the early United States.