Alfred Moore | |
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| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| In office April 21, 1800 – January 26, 1804[1] | |
| Nominated by | John Adams |
| Preceded by | James Iredell |
| Succeeded by | William Johnson |
| 4thAttorney General of North Carolina | |
| In office April 22, 1782 – January 9, 1791[2] | |
| Governor | Alexander Martin Richard Caswell Samuel Johnston Alexander Martin |
| Preceded by | James Iredell |
| Succeeded by | John Haywood |
| Member of theNorth Carolina House of Representatives | |
| In office 1782 | |
| In office 1792 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1755-05-21)May 21, 1755 New Hanover County,North Carolina, British America |
| Died | October 15, 1810(1810-10-15) (aged 55) Bladen County,North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | .svg) United Colonies of North America |
| Branch/service |  Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1775–1782 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit |  1st North Carolina Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Alfred Moore (May 21, 1755 – October 15, 1810) was an American judge, lawyer, planter and military officer who became anassociate justice of theSupreme Court of the United States. Moore Square, a park located in theMoore Square Historic District inRaleigh, North Carolina, was named in his honor, as wasMoore County, North Carolina. He was also a founder and trustee of theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Moore is noted for having written just one opinion for the Court during his term of service:Bas v. Tingy, a minor case ofmaritime law. Although a member of the Court for nearly four years, poor health kept Moore from the Court's business during much of his tenure. In particular he did not participate inMarbury v. Madison, a landmark case decided while he was on the Court. Moore was one of the least effective justices in the history of the Court, his career having "made scarcely a ripple in American judicial history."[3]
Alfred Moore was born May 21, 1755, inNew Hanover County, North Carolina, to Anne (Grange) and Maurice Moore.[2] TheMoore family had a long history in the area. His great grandfather,James Moore, served asgovernor ofCarolina from 1700 to 1703. Alfred Moore's father, Maurice, was a colonial judge in North Carolina and published an essay denouncing theStamp Act.[4]
Around 1764, following the death of his mother and his father's remarriage, Alfred was sent toBoston to complete his education. Later, he returned to North Carolina andread law as anapprentice to his father and wasadmitted to the bar in April 1775.[4]
On September 1, 1775, at the outset of theAmerican Revolutionary War, Moore became acaptain in the1st North Carolina Regiment of theContinental Army, of which his uncle,James Moore, wascolonel.[5] He fought in theBattle of Moore's Creek Bridge, and took part in theSiege of Charleston, South Carolina, afterBritish forcesattempted to capture Sullivan's Island. On March 8, 1777, following the deaths of his father, brother and uncle, Moore resigned hiscommission to care for the familyplantation. Even so, he continued to be involved inirregular military activities against British and Loyalist forces, becoming a colonel in theNorth Carolinamilitia from 1777 to 1782.[6] WhenLord Cornwallis moved through southeastern North Carolina after theBattle of Guilford Court House, his troops plundered all Patriot slave plantations in their path. British forces under the command of MajorJames Craig burnt Moore's slave plantation and "carried off the stock and slaves".[4]
Following the war, Moore was elected to theNorth Carolina General Assembly, which eventually elected him to serve asAttorney General, a position he held from 1782 to 1791.[7] By 1790, Moore enslaved 48 people on his slave plantation.[8] As Attorney General, in 1787, he argued the State's case inBayard v. Singleton, 1 N.C. (Mart) 5, a decision of the North Carolina Court of Conference (the precursor of theNorth Carolina Supreme Court) that became an important early instance of the application ofjudicial review. Moore, an ardentFederalist favoring a strong national government, took a leading role in securing North Carolina's ratification of theUnited States Constitution after the state had initially rejected it in 1788. He also played a role in the founding of theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was among those who selected the site for the university, and he served on its board of trustees from 1789 until 1807.[7]
Moore was again elected to the state House of Representatives in 1792, and served one term. In 1794, he was the Federalist candidate forUnited States Senate; he lost by one vote toDemocratic-RepublicanTimothy Bloodworth. In 1798, Moore was again the Federalist candidate for U.S. Senate; he lost again, this time toJesse Franklin. That same year, the General Assembly elected Moore to a seat on theNorth Carolina Superior Court.[4]
On December 4, 1799, PresidentJohn Adamsnominated Moore as anassociate justice of the United States Supreme Court,[9] to succeedJames Iredell.[7] He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 10, 1799,[9] and wassworn into office on April 21, 1800.[1]
He served until his resignation on January 26, 1804.[1] Due to poor health, Moore's contribution to the court was abbreviated. In his four years of service, he wrote only one opinion,Bas v. Tingy, upholding a conclusion thatFrance was an enemy in the undeclaredQuasi-War of 1798–1799. Moore's scant contribution has led Court observers to place him on lists of the worst justices in the history of the Court.[10][11]
In 1777, he married Susanne Elizabeth Eagles.[2] They had several children, including Alfred, Augusta, and Sara Louisa.[7]
He died October 15, 1810, inBladen County, North Carolina,[7] and is buried atSt. Philip's Church, inBrunswick County.[4]
His summer home,Moorefields, which he built after the Revolutionary War, located inOrange County, North Carolina, nearHillsborough, still stands, and is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places.[7]
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| Preceded by | Attorney General of North Carolina 1782–1791 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States 1800–1804 | Succeeded by |
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