Jacob Hufty

Jacob Hufty (1750 – May 20, 1814) was a United States Representative from New Jersey, serving three terms in Congress from 1809 until his death in 1814. A blacksmith by trade who rose from local office to national prominence, he participated in the legislative process during a formative period in the early republic, representing the interests of his New Jersey constituents in the years leading up to and during the War of 1812.

Hufty was born in New Jersey in 1750, though specific details of his early family life and education are not recorded in surviving sources. He learned and practiced the trade of blacksmithing, a skilled and essential craft in the colonial and early national period. His work as a blacksmith placed him within the economic and civic life of his community and provided the foundation for his later public service.

During the American Revolution, Hufty served in the State militia, initially as a private and ultimately rising to the rank of major. His activities in support of the patriot cause drew the attention of British authorities; in 1778 he was specifically identified as an enemy of Great Britain in a letter written by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood. This Revolutionary War service established his reputation as a committed supporter of American independence and contributed to his standing in New Jersey public life in the decades that followed.

Following the war, Hufty embarked on a lengthy career in local and county government centered in Salem County, New Jersey. He served on the Board of Chosen Freeholders representing Salem Township in 1792, and in 1793 he was elected overseer of the poor and collector, positions that placed him in charge of local welfare and fiscal responsibilities. In 1797 he became a county justice of Salem County, and in 1798 he advanced to the position of county judge. Between 1800 and 1804 he again served on the Board of Chosen Freeholders for Salem Township and, beginning in 1801, acted as director of the board. From 1801 to 1804 he held the office of county sheriff, further broadening his experience in law enforcement and county administration. He returned to the county bench as both justice and judge in 1804.

Hufty’s public responsibilities continued to expand in the first decade of the nineteenth century. He served as a member of the New Jersey Legislative Council, now known as the New Jersey Senate, in 1804, 1806, and 1807, participating in the state’s upper legislative chamber during a period of political realignment in New Jersey and the nation. Concurrently, he was county collector from 1805 to 1808 and judge of the Orphans Court from 1805 to 1808, overseeing financial matters and issues relating to estates and guardianships. In 1808 he served as surrogate, an office concerned with probate and related judicial functions. Through these overlapping roles, Hufty became a central figure in the legal and administrative affairs of Salem County.

Hufty entered national politics in 1808, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was chosen as a Democratic-Republican to the Eleventh and Twelfth Congresses and later as a Federalist to the Thirteenth Congress, reflecting both the fluidity of early party alignments and the contested political climate of the era. His congressional service extended from March 4, 1809, until his death on May 20, 1814. During these three terms, he served as a member of the Federalist Party representing New Jersey at the time of his final term, contributing to the legislative process during a significant period in American history that included the lead-up to and prosecution of the War of 1812. In Congress he participated in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents, engaging in debates and votes that helped shape federal policy in the young republic.

Jacob Hufty died in office on May 20, 1814, in Salem, New Jersey. He was interred in St. John’s Episcopal Cemetery in Salem, where his burial marked the close of a public career that had spanned local, county, state, and national service. His name appears among the members of the United States Congress who died in office between 1790 and 1899. Two centuries after his death, in 2014, he was formally commemorated for his contributions during the American Revolution through a joint resolution passed by the New Jersey Legislature, reflecting the enduring recognition of his military and civic service to the state and nation.