Benjamin Fitzpatrick

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Benjamin Fitzpatrick, photographed by Mathew B. Brady

Benjamin Fitzpatrick (born June 30, 1802 in Greene County , Georgia , † November 21, 1869 near Wetumpka , Alabama ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ). He was the 11th governor of the state of Alabama, which he also represented in the US Senate .

Early years

Fitzpatrick was orphaned at the age of seven and raised by his older siblings from that time on. They moved to Alabama, where he attended public schools and received a limited education. Fitzpatrick also farmed a piece of land on the Alabama River that his brothers had recently bought. He then worked as an assistant sheriff in Autauga County , where he studied law in a law firm in Montgomery in his spare time and was admitted to the bar before his 20th birthday. He was also elected solicitor of the Montgomery judicial district in 1819 , and again in 1822. Fitzpatrick opened his own law firm in Montgomery in 1821 and practiced there until 1827. He then returned to his plantation in Autauga County.

Governor of Alabama

A Democratic parliamentary electoral committee nominated him as a candidate for governor of Alabama. He was elected on August 2, 1841 with almost 57 percent of the vote against the Whig applicant James W. McLung, and his swearing-in took place on November 22, 1841. During his tenure, the tax system was repaired, the Howard College in Marion and the cities of Troy and Tuskegee founded. His primary concern was the state banking system, as abuse and mismanagement had caused considerable debt and the state faced financial ruin because of its bank debt. Fitzpatrick was re-elected on August 7, 1843, but resigned before the end of his regular term on December 10, 1845.

Senator from Alabama

After US Senator Dixon Hall Lewis , Fitzpatrick's brother-in-law, died on November 25, 1848, Fitzpatrick was appointed as his successor to Congress , where he was in office until the end of his regular term on November 30, 1849. On January 14, 1853, he was appointed Senator again, this time for William R. King , who made his office available after the election as US Vice President . From December 7, 1857 to February 26, 1860 and from June 28, 1860 to December 2, 1860 he was President pro tempore of the Senate . He was also nominated in 1860 by the Democratic National Convention for the vice presidency, but he declined.

Another résumé

On January 21, 1861, Fitzpatrick resigned from his position in the Senate as a result of the secession of his home state Alabama from the Union. He supported the Confederate States , but played no active role in the civil war that followed and in the Confederation government, although he was chairman of the Alabama Constitutional Convention in 1865. After the war he was imprisoned as a traitor and placed in a Northern State prison. He then withdrew from the political limelight and lived on his plantation near Wetumpka, where he died on November 21, 1869. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery.

family

Benjamin Fitzpatrick was married twice, to Sarah Terry Elmore, the half-sister of US Senator Franklin H. Elmore , and to Aurelia Blassingame. The result of these connections were eight children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ourcampaigns.com: AL Governor August 2, 1841
personal data
SURNAME Fitzpatrick, Benjamin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 30, 1802
PLACE OF BIRTH Greene County , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH November 21, 1869
Place of death at Wetumpka , Alabama