George Walker Crawford

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George Walker Crawford

George Walker Crawford (born December 22, 1798 in Columbia County , Georgia - † July 27, 1872 in Augusta , Georgia) was an American politician during the 19th century. He served as Governor of Georgia between 1843 and 1847 and as Secretary of War between 1849 and 1850. He was a cousin of William Harris Crawford .

First stage of life

Crawford was the fourth son of Revolutionary War veterans Peter Crawford and Mary Ann Crawford. He received his PhD from Princeton University in 1820 and received his Bachelor of Arts . He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1822. At the beginning he practiced cumming in Augusta with Henry Harford. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Georgia and married Mary Ann Macintosh in 1826. They had four children: William, Sarah, Anna and Charles.

Georgia Attorney General

Georgia's Governor John Forsyth appointed Crawford as Attorney General of the state in 1827 . The following year Crawford challenged MP Thomas E. Burnside to a duel . Burnside had published a series of allegations about Crawford's father. Crawford shot Burnside and won the fight. This event did not affect his career, however, and Crawford served as attorney general until 1831.

Member of Congress

Crawford was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1837 . There he distinguished himself as a tax conservative. He then moved into the US House of Representatives as Whig to fill the void left by the death of Richard W. Habersham , who represented Georgia's 5th Congressional constituency . His tenure was short. He only served January 7 through March 3, 1843.

Georgia Governor

He was Governor of Georgia, defeated Mark Anthony Cooper, and was the only Whig to be elected Governor of Georgia. As governor, he helped expand the Western and Atlantic Railroad , drafted a new congressional map and established the Supreme Court of Georgia . He also focused on dismantling Georgia's central bank and reformed the state reformatory to create a second economic institution. In 1845 he was re-elected for a second term.

Minister of War

When General Zachary Taylor became President of the United States in 1849 , Crawford was appointed Secretary of War in his cabinet . As Secretary of War, he was involved in the settlement of a federal government claim for the Galphin family, descendants of the Indian trader George Galphin . He received much of the payment for his services and later resigned with the rest of Taylor's cabinet in 1850 when Millard Fillmore was elected president after Taylor's sudden death.

Georgia's Demerger Agreement and Death

In 1861 Crawford was elected to represent Richmond County at Georgia's Secession Convention. Delegates then elected Crawford to chair the process. He oversaw the secession election.

Crawford died on his estate, located in "Bel Air", near Augusta, Georgia, on July 27, 1872. He was buried in Summerville Cemetery in Augusta.

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personal data
SURNAME Crawford, George Walker
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1798
PLACE OF BIRTH Columbia County , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH July 27, 1872
Place of death Augusta , Georgia