Alexander Mouton

Alexander Mouton

Alexander Mouton (born November 19, 1804 in what is now Lafayette Parish , Orleans Territory , † February 12, 1885 in Lafayette , Louisiana ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Louisiana from 1843 to 1846 . Between 1837 and 1842 he represented his state in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

Mouton attended Georgetown College in Washington . After completing a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1825. He then began working in this profession at Lafayette Parish.

Between 1827 and 1832 he was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives . There he was President of the House as Speaker from 1832 , succeeding André Bienvenu Roman . As a member of the Democratic Party , he was an elector in the presidential elections of those years in 1828, 1832 and 1836. He voted for Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren . In 1830 he unsuccessfully applied for a seat in the US House of Representatives . In 1836 he was able to return to the House of Representatives of his state.

US Senator and Governor

After US Senator Alexander Porter resigned , Mouton was elected as his successor as Class 3 Senator . Alexander Mouton ended the legislative term that Porter had started and was subsequently re-elected. In the Senate he was Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Mouton was between January 12, 1837 and his resignation on March 1, 1842 a member of this body.

On August 4, 1842, he was elected the new governor of his state and later confirmed by the legislature. Alexander Mouton took up his new office on January 30, 1843. During his tenure, spending was cut and government and other property were sold. Convicts were loaned out for forced labor for money. This enabled the budget to be balanced, albeit with questionable funds. The legal competence of the Supreme Court and the District Courts has been expanded and the school system has been further improved. In 1845 a new Louisiana constitution came into effect. This constitution abolished the previous system of gubernatorial elections, according to which a general election first had to take place, which then had to be approved by the legislature. Under the new constitution, there was no need for parliamentary approval. The new constitution also created some new government offices, such as the office of lieutenant governor , a superintendent of education and a state librarian.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship on February 12, 1846, Mouton returned to his own affairs, including his involvement with the railroad. In 1861 he was chairman of the assembly that decided to separate the State of Louisiana from the Union and join the Confederate States . Mouton was a supporter of the Confederation. As such, he invested a large part of his wealth in the ultimately unsuccessful cause of the southern states. His son Alfred Mouton died as a Confederate general in the Battle of Mansfield. Alexander Mouton survived the Civil War by almost 20 years. He died in February 1885. He was married twice and had a total of eleven children. His first wife, Zelia Rousseau, was the granddaughter of Jacques Dupré , who had been governor of Louisiana from 1830 to 1831.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

Commons : Alexandre Mouton  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Alexander Mouton in the National Governors Association (English)
• The Governors of Louisiana (English)
• Alexander Mouton in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Alexander Mouton in the database of Find a Grave (English)