George Mathews

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George Mathews (born August 30, 1739 in Augusta County , Colony of Virginia , † August 30, 1812 in Augusta , Georgia ) was an American politician and governor of Georgia.

Early years

The son of an immigrant family from Ulster grew up in Augusta County in what was then colonial Virginia. Young Mathews was prepared for economic, civil and military tasks at that time. Together with his brother Sampson, he started a company that dealt with land speculation, home sales and agricultural facilities. The brothers' company was very successful and expanded rapidly. As the company rose, so did Mathews' reputation and influence. He was soon represented in leading positions in the magistrate.

Military career

After he had already completed a few missions as a militia volunteer against insurgent Indians before American independence, he joined the American armed forces at the outbreak of the War of Independence . At first he was a captain in the Virginia militia. In 1777 he was colonel of a regiment, which the Continental Army of George Washington belonged. This regiment was completely defeated at the Battle of Germantown , Pennsylvania . Most of the soldiers had either fallen or been captured. George Mathews was among the prisoners of war. He remained in captivity until December 1781. After his release, he rejoined the Continental Army in Georgia and South Carolina . On this occasion he got to know and appreciate the state of Georgia better.

Fresh start in Georgia

In 1783 he purchased land in Wilkes County , which was enlarged by a government gift for his military services. In his native Virginia he encouraged friends and acquaintances to move to Georgia. He himself retired from his Virginia business ventures and focused on a future in Georgia. He wanted to join the elite of Georgia's rich slave-keeping planters and pursue a political career. To achieve this goal, he used his wartime contacts and his time as an entrepreneur in Virginia. In fact, he soon succeeded in achieving his set goals. In the mid-1780s he took over the first public offices in his district. In 1787 he became a member of the Parliament of Georgia and that same year he was elected governor of that state.

Georgia Governor

Mathews was Georgia governor twice. His first tenure, from 1787 to 1788, fell before Georgia officially became a US state. Mathews was a member of the convention that ratified the United States Constitution in 1787 . As governor, Mathews campaigned for greater government and governor rights vis-à-vis parliament. In 1788 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the 1st US Congress . In 1791 he was not confirmed in office; even an attempt to be elected to the US Senate in 1792 was unsuccessful. But he managed to find more support in Georgia. In 1793 he was re-elected governor. His second term lasted from 1793 to 1796. The main problems during this time were raids by the Creek Indians in the west of the country and separatist efforts by Elijah Clarke , who founded the so-called Trans-Oconee Republic with his supporters. This republic was crushed in 1794 under the command of future governor Jared Irwin .

His second term in office was overshadowed by the so-called Yazoo Land scandal, in which he was personally involved. He and his government sold properties in what is known as Yazoo land in the west of the country. Bribes flowed into the pockets of leading politicians. The governor supported this practice and legalized it through the Yazoo Land Act, which opponents viewed as illegal. When the scandal became public, the governor's political career was over. He fell into political disgrace. James Jackson , a senior politician at the time and a US Senator for Georgia, gave up his Senate seat specifically to resolve the Georgia crisis. With his help and the support of the new governor Jared Irwin, all land sales were reversed and the Yazoo Land Act annulled.

Old age and death

After the events surrounding the Yazoo scandal, Mathews left Georgia and settled in the Mississippi Territory . There he married a wealthy widow. In 1812 his name hit the headlines again when he was commissioned by President James Madison to support a rebellion against the Spaniards in east Florida . The aim of the plan was the subsequent integration of Florida into the United States. The plan worked, but at the same time the Washington government had decided to postpone the plans. An annexation of Florida did not seem politically opportune at this time (probably because of the war with England that had broken out at the same time ). Mathews was removed from office and was so annoyed that he wanted to travel to Washington in person to change the president's mind. On the way there he fell ill in Augusta, Georgia. He died there on August 30, 1812.

He was initially married to Anne Polly Paul, with whom he had eight children. During his time in Mississippi , he married the widow Mary Carpenter in his second marriage .

literature

  • Carol Ebel: First Men: Changing Patterns of Leadership on the Virginia and Georgia Frontiers, 1642-1815. Ph.D. Diss., University of Georgia, 1996.
  • G. Melvin Herndon: George Mathews: Frontier Patriot. In: Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 77 (July 1969): 307-328.
  • Rembert W. Patrick: Florida Fiasco: Rampant Rebels on the Georgia-Florida Border, 1810-1815. University of Georgia Press, Athens 1954.

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personal data
SURNAME Mathews, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 30, 1739
PLACE OF BIRTH Augusta County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH August 30, 1812
Place of death Augusta , Georgia