He was born in Hadley, Massachusetts, on November 13, 1814, and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1837.
He served in the Mexican-American War and was later assigned to the Pacific Northwest, where he helped to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Hooker was appointed a brigadier general in the Union Army and commanded a brigade at the First Battle of Bull Run.
He was later promoted to major general and commanded the Army of the Potomac from January to June 1863.
Hooker was a skilled tactician and a brave leader, but he was also known for his arrogance and his difficult personality.
He clashed frequently with his superiors, and he was eventually replaced by General George G. Meade after the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Hooker continued to serve in the Union Army until the end of the war, and he was brevetted to the rank of major general in 1865.
He died in Garden City, New York, on October 31, 1879.
Joseph Hooker was an important figure in the American Civil War, and his contributions to the Union victory should not be underestimated.