John A. Quitman

John Anthony Quitman (September 1, 1799–July 17, 1858) was an American politician. He served as Governor of Mississippi from 1835 to 1836 as a Whig and again from 1850 to 1851 as a Democrat.

Related Topics:
September 1 - 1799 - July 17 - 1858 - American - Governor of Mississippi - 1835 - 1836 - Whig - 1850 - 1851 - Democrat

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He was born in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York, September 1, 1799; pursued classical studies and was graduated from Hartwick Seminary in 1816; instructor in Mount Airy College, Pennsylvania, in 1818; studied law; was admitted to the bar; moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1820, and thence to Natchez, Miss., in 1821, where he practiced law; member of the State house of representatives in 1826 and 1827; chancellor of the State from 1828 until 1835, when he resigned; member of the State constitutional convention in 1832; served in the State senate in 1835 and 1836 and was made its president; Acting Governor of Mississippi in 1835 and 1836; judge of the high court of errors and appeals in 1838; during the Mexican War was appointed a brigadier general of Volunteers July 1, 1846; commissioned a major general in the Regular Army April 14, 1847, and honorably discharged July 20, 1848; Governor of Mississippi in 1850 and 1851.

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Governor Quitman was approached by the filibuster Narcisco Lopez to lead his filibuster expedition of 1850 to Cuba. He turned down the offer because of his desire to serve out his term as Governor, but did offer assistance to Lopez in obtaining men and material for the expedition. Lopez?s effort ended in failure and the repercussion led to Quitman?s being charged with violations of neutrality law and his resignation from the post of Governor so that he could defend himself. The charges were dropped after hung juries three times caused another defendant to avoid conviction.

Related Topics:
Filibuster - Narcisco Lopez - 1850 - Cuba

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With the encouragement of President Pierce Quitman began in July 1853 preparations for a filibuster expedition of his own. The preparations were nearly complete, with several thousand men prepared to go, when in May 1854 the Adminstration reversed course and undertook steps to stop what it had almost put into motion, presumably because it felt that in the wake of the furor over the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act that action to add slaveholding territory such as Cuba would do irrepairable damage to the Democratic Party in the North.

Related Topics:
President Pierce - July - 1853 - May - 1854 - Kansas-Nebraska Act - Democratic Party

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He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth Congresses and served as a Representative from March 4, 1855, until his death on his plantation, ?Monmouth,? near Natchez, Miss., July 17, 1858, presumably from the effects of National Hotel disease contracted in Washington, D.C., during the inauguration of President Buchanan; chairman, Committee on Military Affairs (Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth Congresses); interment in the Natchez City Cemetery.

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(The second and fifth paragraphs of this text were obtained entirely from The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress at http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=Q000022)

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