Joseph Webber Jackson

Joseph Webber Jackson (December 6, 1796 – September 29, 1854) was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist from the state of Georgia who served in the United States Congress. He was born at Cedar Hill, near Savannah, Georgia, on December 6, 1796. Little is recorded about his family background or early youth, but his formative years were spent in the coastal region around Savannah, an area that would remain the center of his professional and political life.

Jackson pursued legal studies as a young man and read law in preparation for the bar, following the common practice of the early nineteenth century. After completing his legal training, he was admitted to the Georgia bar and commenced the practice of law. His legal career in Savannah established him as a prominent attorney and provided the foundation for his subsequent roles in municipal, state, and national public service.

In addition to his legal work, Jackson became active in local government in Savannah. He served on the Savannah municipal council, participating in the administration and governance of the city during a period of commercial growth and increasing political complexity in the antebellum South. His leadership and standing in the community led to his election as mayor of Savannah, a position in which he oversaw municipal affairs and represented the city in its dealings with state and regional authorities.

Jackson’s public service extended beyond the municipal level into state politics. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives and later to the Georgia Senate, where he took part in shaping state legislation and policy. Alongside his legislative responsibilities, he held significant military and judicial posts. He served as a captain in the Savannah Volunteer Guards, a local militia unit, and rose to the rank of colonel of the 1st Regiment in the Georgia Militia, reflecting both his civic prominence and the importance of militia service in Georgia’s public life. He also served as a judge of the superior court of Georgia, presiding over important civil and criminal matters and reinforcing his reputation as a learned and influential legal figure.

Jackson’s experience in law, local government, state legislature, and the militia prepared him for service at the national level. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat to fill the remainder of the term in Georgia’s 1st congressional district in the 31st United States Congress, following the resignation of Representative Thomas B. King in 1850. Subsequently, he was reelected as a States Rights Party candidate to the 32nd Congress. In total, Joseph Webber Jackson served two terms in the United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1850, through March 3, 1853. His tenure in Congress coincided with a critical period in American history marked by sectional tensions and debates over states’ rights and slavery, and he participated in the legislative process representing the interests and political outlook of his Georgia constituents.

After choosing not to run for reelection to the 33rd Congress in 1852, Jackson concluded his service in the national legislature and returned to private life in Georgia. He remained a figure identified with the States Rights Party and with the broader Democratic political tradition in the South, having contributed to public affairs at multiple levels over several decades. Joseph Webber Jackson died in Savannah, Georgia, on September 29, 1854, closing a career that spanned municipal leadership, state legislative service, militia command, judicial office, and membership in the United States House of Representatives.