John Miller (politician, 1781)

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John Miller (born November 25, 1781 in Martinsburg , Virginia , †  March 18, 1846 in Florissant , Missouri ) was an American politician and from 1826 to 1832 the fourth governor of the state of Missouri.

Early years and political advancement

John Miller, who was born in what is now West Virginia , attended local schools in his homeland. In 1803 he moved to Steubenville , Ohio , where he edited or published two newspapers. During the war of 1812 , he served in the US Army as a lieutenant colonel and later as a colonel in the infantry. Miller remained in the army until 1818.

Since 1818 Miller was based in Franklin, Missouri. Between 1818 and 1825 he was a registration officer at the local land authority. After the death of Governor Frederick Bates on August 4, 1825, new gubernatorial elections were announced in Missouri, which Miller won with 48.4 percent of the vote.

Governor and Congressman

Miller took up his new office on January 20, 1826. He replaced Abraham J. Williams , who had served constitutionally as governor as Senate president since Governor Bates' death. The 1825 election only qualified Miller to terminate Bates' term. In 1827, however, he managed to be elected to a regular four-year term, which meant he could remain in office for almost six years until November 19, 1832. His tenure was marked by a flourishing economy. In budgetary policy the governor was thrifty by cutting spending.

Miller was a member of President Andrew Jackson's Democratic Party . Between 1837 and 1843 he represented his state in the US House of Representatives in Washington . In 1842 he decided not to run again.

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