John Houstoun

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Houstoun (born August 31, 1744 in Waynesboro , Province of Georgia , † July 20, 1796 in Savannah , Georgia ) was an American politician and governor of Georgia .

Early years

John Houstoun was born on August 31, 1744 in Waynesboro in what is now Burke County, the son of Sir Patrick Houstoun. The father is considered to be one of the first settlers in the British colony of Georgia. Long before his political career, John practiced law in Savannah. His brother William (1755-1813) represented the state of Georgia in the Continental Congress .

Political career

Houstoun's political career began at the time of the American independence movement . In 1774 he made his first political appearance when he called a meeting with some like-minded people to discuss and criticize the policy of the British Crown at the time. A year later he was a delegate to the so-called Provincial Congress, the first convention in Georgia to be convened by the Americans. At that meeting he was appointed one of the representatives of Georgia for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia . There he stood up for the independence of the American colonies from the British crown, but was against a trade ban. In 1776 he returned to Georgia before the Declaration of Independence , so he was not one of the signatories of the declaration. The reason for his return was the agitation of John Joachim Zubly , who raised the mood against the independence movement in Georgia and advocated Georgia remaining in the British crown.

Georgia Governor

In 1778 he was elected Governor of Georgia to succeed John Treutlen . At that time, despite the war for independence, the political situation within the American patriots in Georgia was tense. There were two factions, the conservatives and the radicals, who fought bitterly and who did not shrink from acts of violence. There were duels and even politically motivated murders, which later even ex-Governor Treutlen fell victim to.

Houstoun belonged to the Conservatives and his election was accordingly welcomed by their side. His first job as governor was to improve the poor military facilities in the country. In 1778, Georgia was visited by British loyalists on their way to the English base of St. Augustine in Florida . These plundered and destroyed villages and towns. It was also rumored that the British would raise a new army in St. Augustine. Governor Houstoun put himself at the head of the militia and planned an attack on St. Augustine. Together with the regular army under Major General Robert Howe succeeded in driving the British out of Georgia. Howe was against an attack on St. Augustine and Houstoun's attack failed. But it got worse. The British counterattacked and occupied Georgia. The governor could only flee. The British stayed in Georgia until 1782. Only after the battle of Yorktown did they retreat. In 1784 Houstoun was elected governor again for a year.

Old age and death

After the end of his tenure, he was a member of a commission that should determine the border with South Carolina . But he did not agree with the result of the commission; he believed South Carolina had received too much land. In 1790 he was elected first mayor of the city of Savannah for one year. He was then a judge and director of a school in Chatham County . He died on July 20, 1796.

Houstoun was married to Hannah Brian. The couple had no children.

According to him, Houston County named in Georgia.

literature

  • John Fauchereau Grimké: Journal of the Campaign to the Southward. May 9th to July 14th, 1778. In: South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine. 12, 1911, ISSN  0148-7825 , pp. 60-69, 118-134, 190-206.
  • Harvey H. Jackson: Lachlan McIntosh and the Politics of Revolutionary Georgia . University of Georgia Press, Athens GA 1979, ISBN 0-8203-0459-X .
  • Edith Duncan Johnston: The Houstouns of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens GA 1950.
  • Charles C. Jones Jr .: Biographical Sketches of the Delegates from Georgia to the Continental Congress . Reprint Co., Spartanburg SC 1972, ISBN 0-87152-085-0 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Houstoun, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 31, 1744
PLACE OF BIRTH Waynesboro , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH July 20, 1796
Place of death Savannah , Georgia