John Gayle (politician)

John Gayle

John Gayle (born September 11, 1792 in Sumter , South Carolina , † July 21, 1859 in Mobile , Alabama ) was an American lawyer and politician ( Democratic Party ). He was a representative of Alabama in the US House of Representatives and was the seventh governor of that state .

Early years and political advancement

John Gayle, son of Matthew and Mary Gayle, attended Newberry Academy and graduated from South Carolina College in 1813 . In the same year he moved to Monroe County , Alabama , where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1818. Then he opened his own law firm in Mobile. Gayle decided in 1817 to embark on a political career. At that time he became a member of the Alabama Territorial Council . He was then elected solicitor of the Alabama First Judicial District in 1819 . He was later also a member of the Alabama House of Representatives between 1822 and 1823. There he represented Monroe County. He then became a judge in the 3rd judicial district in 1823. He held this position until 1828, when he was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court . However, he resigned a year later to take the seat in Parliament of Alabama, where he was speaker until 1831 . He represented Greene County .

Governor of Alabama

In the 1831 election for governor of Alabama, he emerged as an opponent of annulment , a key issue in the election. Then he was elected governor on August 1, 1831, where he prevailed with 55:31 percent against the National Republican Nicholas Davis. He was sworn in on November 26, 1831. During his tenure, nine new counties were created, the first railway line was completed, the state bank was enlarged, and Parliament established the first cotton factory . In 1832 the Treaty of Cusseta was signed, which gave the Creek Indians new land west of the Mississippi . However, violence erupted when federal marshals attempted to remove the white settlers from Indian land. Gayle made it clear again that the eviction would be carried out and that the state would have priority over the transfer of land in its territory . During this confrontation, Gayle won unopposed re-election. He began his second term and held the post until November 21, 1835.

Congressman and federal judge

After resigning from office, Gayle served as a member of the Electoral College in the presidential elections in 1836 and 1840 . Between 1847 and 1849 he served in Congress for the Alabama First Constituency . He then served as a judge at the Federal District Court for Alabama from 1849 to 1859 . He died on July 21, 1859 and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile. Gayle was married twice, to Sarah Ann Haynsworth and Clarissa Stedman Peck. The result of these connections were ten children.

Web links

• John Gayle at the National Governors Association (English)
• John Gayle in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• John Gayle in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• John Gayle at The Political Graveyard