John Randolph of Roanoke

John Randolph (June 2, 1773 - May 24, 1833) was a Representative and a Senator from Virginia, USA. He was born in Cawsons, Virginia, and was known as John Randolph of Roanoke to distinguish him from relatives. (The name Roanoke refers to Roanoke Plantation in Charlotte County, Virginia.) The son of John Randolph and Frances Bland, he was also a descendant of William Randolph and also Pocohantas.

Eccentricity and outsider status

Despite being a Virginian, slaveholder, excellent orator, and House leader (all traits perhaps associated with the possibility of great leadership), Randolph eventually became a kind of outsider and eccentric. The source of Randolph's evolution, political inspiration, and estrangement from contempory American political thinking is an interesting problem for historians.

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