 Born in Craven County, North Carolina (his birthdate remains unknown), Blackledge was a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1797 to 1799 before being elected to the 8th United States Congress in 1802.He served three consecutive terms, during which he was one of the House managers for the impeachment of John Pickering.He ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 1808, but served briefly in the state house in 1809 and returned to serve one more term in the 12th United States Congress from 1811 to 1813.