Joseph Wright was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he pursued a legal career. He graduated and was admitted to the bar, subsequently entering public service by being elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. Wright held various positions, including prosecuting attorney and state senator, before being elected to Congress and later serving as governor of Indiana. After his tenure as governor, he served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Prussia, and later supported the Union cause during the Civil War. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate but his term was brief.

Joseph Wright's political identity is marked by a rigid opposition to banking, contrasting sharply with his support for a new Indiana Constitution and tax reforms. His anti-slavery stance, coupled with his enforcement of fugitive slave laws, reveals a complex approach to civil rights. Wright's diplomatic career, spanning before and after the Civil War, underscores a consistent international engagement that belies his domestic economic rigidity. His advocacy for Sunday Schools in public education highlights a unique blend of progressive social policies with conservative economic views.