John Murphy (politician)

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John Murphy

John Murphy (born 1786 in Columbia , Robeson County , North Carolina , † September 21, 1841 in Clarke County , Alabama ) was an American politician ( Democratic Republican Party ) and from 1825 to 1829 the 4th  Governor of Alabama.

Early years and political advancement

North Carolina born John Murphy moved with his family to South Carolina , where he attended South Carolina College and graduated in 1808. There he was with the future governor of Alabama, John Gayle , and the prominent politician James Dellet . After graduation, he worked from 1810 to 1817 as a clerk in the South Carolina Senate . He was also a trustee of the University of South Carolina between 1808 and 1818 . He then moved to Alabama in 1818, where he owned a plantation in Monroe County . He began law study and was eventually admitted to the bar. Murphy decided to pursue a political career, beginning in 1819 as a member of the Constitutional Convention. He became a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in 1820 and the Alabama Senate in 1822 .

Governor of Alabama

Alabama Governor Israel Pickens chose Murphy as his successor. This was elected with 12,511 votes on August 1, 1825 with practically no opposing candidate. He was sworn in on November 25, 1825; he was re-elected in 1827. The major problems during Murphy's tenure were the settlement of the ongoing dispute over the seat of the capital, the problems with the state bank, the expulsion of the Creek Indians , the settlement between Mississippi and Alabama, and the border line between Georgia and Alabama. At the end of his tenure, the state capital was moved from Cahaba to Tuscaloosa and a postal route to New Orleans was opened. The US Congress also approved a land sale to use the proceeds to finance the canal at Muscle Shoals .

Another résumé

After serving as governor, he went back to his plantation. After the unsuccessful election of 1831 he ran again in the election of 1833 for the US House of Representatives and finally won. He defeated his former classmate James Dellet, who defeated him again in 1839. Murphy then retired to his plantation, where he died on September 21, 1841. He was buried on his plantation near Gosport . He has been married twice: to Sarah Hails and Sarah Carter. The result of these connections were three children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel, John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1. Meckler Books, Westport 1978. 4 volumes.
  • Murphy, John . In: James Grant Wilson, John Fiske (Eds.): Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography . tape 4 : Lodge - Pickens . D. Appleton and Company, New York 1888, p. 466 (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).

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