Waightstill Avery was born in Groton, Connecticut back in 1741. He could trace his ancestry in the United States back to 1630. He was elected to the colonial assembly in 1772 serving as attorney-general for the Crown.
In 1775 and 1776 he was elected to the North Carolina Provincial Congress, helping draft the first North Carolina Constitution. among his other accomplishments he was also the first Attorney General of North Carolina. In his spare time, he served in the state’s militia during the American Revolutionary War.
He clamored for the colony’s independence from Great Britain going on to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly and the Senate. Now for the rest of the story. What you may not know about Waightstill is that he was challenged to a duel by Andrew Jackson when Andrew was a territorial lawyer. They met on the field of honor, each intentionally missed the other while firing. Both of them left the field and remained fast friends for the rest of their lives. Thus ends my story for today, until tomorrow smile and keep a penny in your pocket.
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