James Turner Morehead (politician, 1797)

James Turner Morehead

James Turner Morehead (born May 24, 1797 in Shepherdsville , Bullitt County , Virginia , †  December 28, 1854 in Covington , Kentucky ) was an American politician and governor of Kentucky. He also represented this state in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

Young James Morehead attended local schools in his homeland and Transylvania University from 1813 to 1815 . After studying law in Russellville , he was admitted to the bar in 1818. He then went to Bowling Green to practice law. His political career began in 1828. That year he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He stayed there until 1831. Morehead was a member of the National Republican Party , a forerunner of the Whigs . In 1831 he was a delegate to the federal convention of this party in Baltimore . In 1832 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

Kentucky governor

Acting Governor John Breathitt died of tuberculosis on February 21, 1834 . With that, Lieutenant Governor Morehead automatically became governor. He had to end the remaining term of office of his predecessor until August 30, 1836. When he took office, there was also a change in policy. Breathitt had been a supporter of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic Party , while Morehead and his party opposed them. In 1834, the Whig Party was officially organized, and Morehead served as governor of the Kentucky inaugural meeting. He was a supporter of Henry Clay and his politics. At the same time, however, he tried not to let the political conflict with the Democrats escalate. Through a moderate policy he managed a smooth transition of government to the Whigs. An Association of Professional Teachers was established during his tenure . Morehead also campaigned for the expansion of waterways and railways.

Another résumé

After his term ended in 1836, he was a member of the Kentucky Parliament for two years. From 1838 to 1841 he was chairman of the committee for the improvement of the infrastructure. In 1841 he was elected to the United States Senate. During his time in Washington, DC , he was a member of the Indian Committee. He also opposed the annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico . When the war broke out, however, he supported it.

Morehead remained a senator until 1847, when he returned to his homeland, where he again worked as a lawyer. He died in Covington in 1854. James Morehead was married to Susan A. Roberts, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• James Morehead in the National Governors Association (English)
• James Turner Morehead in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• James Turner Morehead in the database of Find a Grave (English)