David Meriwether (politician, 1800)
David Meriwether (born October 30, 1800 in Louisa County , Virginia , † April 4, 1893 near Louisville , Kentucky ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) who represented the state of Kentucky in the US Senate and was governor of the New Mexico Territory acted.
As a toddler, Virginia-born David Meriwether moved with his parents to Kentucky in 1803, where the family settled in Jefferson County . He attended public schools; later he worked in the fur trade in Iowa as well as in agriculture. After completing a law degree , he was admitted to the bar and began practicing as a lawyer.
Politically active Meriwether from 1832, when he was elected to the House of Representatives of Kentucky , to which he belonged until 1845. His candidacy for the US House of Representatives in 1847 was unsuccessful . In 1849 he was a delegate to the constitutional convention of his state, in 1851 he held the office of Secretary of State of Kentucky.
After the death of US Senator Henry Clay , longtime leader of the Whigs , David Meriwether was appointed as his successor in Congress . He took up his mandate from July 6, 1852, but had to hand it over to Archibald Dixon , officially elected as the new Senator, on August 31 of the same year .
US President Franklin Pierce named Meriwether governor of the New Mexico Territory the following year after the actual candidate, Senator Solon Borland of Arkansas , rejected the post. In New Mexico he was struggling with Indian problems. However, he managed to conclude peace treaties with the Indians, at least for a short time. Meriwether ruled the territory until 1855 and then returned to Kentucky, where he was again a member of the State House of Representatives from 1858 to 1885, where he temporarily served as a speaker . In old age he retired on his plantation near Louisville, where he died in 1893.
Web links
- David Meriwether in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
- David Meriwether in the database of Find a Grave (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Meriwether, David |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician (Democratic Party) |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 30, 1800 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Louisa County , Virginia |
DATE OF DEATH | April 4, 1893 |
Place of death | near Louisville , Kentucky |