Born in Burke County, North Carolina, Newland and his brothers ran a mail coach business using horse-drawn wagons with state contracts.

Newland became involved in politics and was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons in 1826, representing Burke County.

[1][2] He was appointed a Colonel in the North Carolina Militia sometime before 1830, and was made a Brigadier General in late 1832.

Newland was a supporter of Andrew Jackson in his bid for the presidency in 1828 and remained aligned with Democratic politics.

He came in third place, behind the incumbent pro-nullification Democrat Samuel Price Carson and National Republican James Graham, who won the seat.

The House Committee on Elections, with a Democratic Majority, found in Newland's favor that the misplaced ballots should be added to his total, giving him an apparent victory by 12 votes.

[8] In 1837, after the inauguration of Van Buren as President, he appointed Newland a surveyor of public lands in the Wisconsin Territory.

[14] Finding himself in difficult financial circumstances, Newland traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1857, in an attempt to obtain an appointment from the new President, James Buchanan.