James Clark (politician, 1779)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Clark

James Clark (born January 16, 1779 in Bedford County , Virginia , † August 27, 1839 in Frankfort , Kentucky ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and political advancement

James Clark came to Kentucky in 1794 and was raised privately. He then attended the Pisgah Academy in Woodford County . He studied law in Virginia and was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1797. Then he set up his office in Winchester .

His political career began in 1807 with the election to the Kentucky House of Representatives . In the next election he was confirmed in his position, in 1810 he was a judge on an appeals court before he represented his state in the US House of Representatives in Washington from 1813 to 1816 . He was then again a judge in his home state of Kentucky until 1824. Six more years in Congress followed between 1825 and 1831 . There he was a member of the Committee for the Territories . Clark, who was a member of the Whig Party , was ultimately a member of the Kentucky Senate from 1831 to 1835 .

Kentucky governor

In 1836, Clark was elected Governor of Kentucky with 55.8% of the vote against the Democrat Matthews Flournoy as a Whigs candidate . His term of office began on August 30, 1836 and ended almost three years later, on August 27, 1839, with his death. During his tenure, he campaigned for a public school system in all counties. This was intended to extend the state's education system across the board. James Clark also campaigned for a law that would make it difficult for slaves to escape . An economic crisis that broke out in 1837 also bothered him in the last years of his tenure.

After his death, his previous lieutenant governor Charles A. Wickliffe took over the office of governor and completed the beginning of the term of office. James Clark was married twice and had three children in total. His younger brother Christopher (1767-1828) was a congressman for the state of Virginia .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Clark, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH January 16, 1779
PLACE OF BIRTH Bedford County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH August 27, 1839
Place of death Frankfort , Kentucky