Edward Brake Jackson

Edward Brake Jackson (January 25, 1793 – September 8, 1826) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia, a member of the Republican (Democratic-Republican) Party, and part of a prominent political family as the son of George Jackson and the brother of John G. Jackson. He was born in Clarksburg, Virginia (now Clarksburg, West Virginia), in what was then the trans-Appalachian frontier of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Raised in a family deeply engaged in public affairs, Jackson grew up in an environment that fostered an interest in law, politics, and public service, which would shape his later career.

Jackson received his early education at Randolph Academy in Clarksburg, one of the principal educational institutions in the region at the time. After completing his studies there, he pursued the study of medicine, a common professional path for educated young men of his generation. He subsequently commenced the practice of medicine in Clarksburg, serving the local community as a physician before entering military and political life.

During the War of 1812, Jackson entered military service and was assigned as a surgeon’s mate in the Third Regular Virginia Militia. In that capacity he was stationed at Fort Meigs, in the Ohio country, where American forces defended the Northwest frontier against British and Native American forces. His medical training and service as a surgeon’s mate placed him at the intersection of military and professional responsibilities during a formative national conflict, contributing to the defense of the western territories.

Following the war, Jackson turned more fully to public life in Virginia. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, serving as a member of the State house of delegates from 1815 to 1818. In this role he participated in state-level legislative deliberations during a period of postwar adjustment and westward expansion. In 1819 he continued his public service in the judicial sphere, serving as clerk of the United States district court, a federal position that involved the administration of court records and proceedings and reflected the trust placed in him within the legal and political community.

Jackson entered national politics in 1820. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Sixteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative James Pindall. He took his seat on October 23, 1820, and was subsequently reelected to the Seventeenth Congress, serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from October 23, 1820, to March 3, 1823. As a member of the Republican Party representing Virginia, Edward Brake Jackson contributed to the legislative process during these two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history marked by debates over economic policy, internal improvements, and the balance between federal and state authority.

In the 1821 election, Jackson secured a decisive victory, winning reelection with 75.22 percent of the vote and defeating Federalist candidate Thomas Wilson. His success at the polls reflected both his family’s established political standing and his own growing reputation as a public servant. Despite this strong position, Jackson declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1822, thereby ending his brief but notable tenure in Congress and returning to private life after March 3, 1823.

In his later years, Jackson’s health declined. He traveled to Bedford Springs, near Bedford, Pennsylvania, a well-known resort and mineral springs destination frequented by those seeking therapeutic benefits. It was there that he died on September 8, 1826, at the age of thirty-three. Edward Brake Jackson was interred near Bedford, Pennsylvania, closing the life of a young physician, soldier, state legislator, federal court officer, and congressman whose career reflected the opportunities and responsibilities of public service in the early Republic.