Jackson Morton

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Jackson Morton

Jackson Morton (born August 10, 1794 in Fredericksburg , Virginia , † November 20, 1874 in Milton , Florida ) was an American politician and US Senator of the state of Florida.

Early years

Morton graduated from Washington College (now Washington and Lee University ) in Lexington in 1814 and from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in 1815 . In 1820 he moved to Pensacola , Florida and became involved in the lumber business.

American government

Morton became a member of the Florida Territorial Legislative Council in 1836 and was its president in 1837. The following year, 1838, he served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention on Florida's first constitution. Morton was also an agent in the US Navy in Pensacola between 1841 and 1845 . He also appeared as an elector for the Whig Party in 1848 .

Morton was elected to the US Senate in 1848. There he served from 1849 to 1855, although he could not be run for further re-election. After serving in the Senate, he resumed his activity in the lumber business.

Confederate Government

As tensions and thereby divisions over the slavery issue grew between the northern and southern United States, Morton became active in the formation of the Confederate States . On November 30, 1860, he was elected as a delegate to Florida's Breakaway Convention, which met in Tallahassee . There he represented Santa Rosa County . At the beginning of the next year, on January 7, 1861, Morton was elected to a twelve-person committee that was supposed to prepare the secession order. Morton and George Taliaferro Ward attempted to amend the order so that Florida would not split off until the states of Georgia and Alabama split off, so widespread confirmation would have been given. However, they were overruled on January 8, 1861 and the decree passed with a majority of one vote. Morton voted in favor of the secession, and on January 10, 1861, Florida became the third state to leave the United States with a 62-7 vote.

On January 17, 1861, Morton was appointed as a deputy to the Montgomery , Alabama Convention . This convention was concerned with the establishment of a provisional Confederate government. On February 4, 1861, the deputies met and drafted the provisional constitution of the Confederate States , which was signed four days later by Morton and the other deputies. The deputies of this convention became the Provisional Confederate Congress . Morton held his office for the duration of the Provisional Congress and the following month, which was followed by the Provisional Constitution , which he also signed.

Jackson Morton returned to Santa Rosa County and died on November 22, 1874 in his homeland, Mortonia, near Milton. Morton was buried there in a private cemetery.

family

His brother, Jeremiah Morton , who was also born in Fredericksburg, was a member of the US House of Representatives for the state of Virginia.

literature

  • Brian R. Rucker, Jackson Morton: West Florida's Soldier, Senator, and Secessionist, Patagonia Pr, 1990. ISBN 1-882695-00-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b civilwarhome.com
  2. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from February 2, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.coolchange.net

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Morton, Jackson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 10, 1794
PLACE OF BIRTH Fredericksburg , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH November 20, 1874
Place of death near Milton , Florida