Asa Biggs

Who was Asa Biggs?

Asa Biggs was a North Carolina politician who held a number of positions. He was a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, and federal judge.

Biggs was born in Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina. He read law, was admitted to the bar in 1831, and commenced practice in Williamston. He was a member of the North Carolina state constitutional convention in 1835, the state house of commons from 1840 to 1842, and the state senate from 1844 to 1845.

Biggs was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress and served from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1847, but was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election in 1846. In 1851 he became a member of the commission to codify the North Carolina state laws. His role in codifying the laws of North Carolina is the most distinctive aspect of his historical importance.

He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1855 and served from March 4, 1855 until May 5, 1858, when he resigned to accept an appointment to the United States District Court for the District of North Carolina by President James Buchanan to a seat vacated by Henry Potter. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 3, 1858, and received his commission the same day.