John W. Stevenson

John Stevenson

John White Stevenson (* 4. May 1812 in Richmond , Virginia ; † 10. August 1886 in Covington , Kentucky ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ), of the state of Kentucky in both houses of Congress represented and as its governor officiated .

Early years and political advancement

John Stevenson received his first education in Virginia. There he attended the Hampden-Sydney Academy and the University of Virginia , which he successfully completed in 1832. After completing a law degree, he temporarily settled in Vicksburg ( Mississippi ) as a lawyer. In 1841 he moved to Covington, Kentucky, where he lived and worked.

His political rise began in 1845 with his election to the Kentucky House of Representatives . He was re-elected in 1846 and 1848. In 1849 he was a delegate to the Conference on the Revision of the Kentucky Constitution. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1848, 1852 and 1856. Between 1857 and 1861 he was a member of his party in the US House of Representatives in Washington . He was an advocate of state rights vis-à-vis the federal government. During the civil war , however, he held back politically.

Governor and US Senator

Stevenson was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1867 . Governor John L. Helm died just five days after his inauguration and Stevenson fell to the office of governor. Because Helm died so early in his tenure, a new election for the office of governor was announced. Stevenson then won this by a clear majority against the Republican Richard Baker. Between September 6, 1867 and February 3, 1871, he now served as governor. During this time, the education system in Kentucky was expanded and a separate Ministry ( Bureau of Education ) was created. The governor also worked to improve penal institutions. Kentucky was still suffering from the aftermath of the Civil War, and the governor had to use the National Guard on multiple occasions against wandering criminals. In 1870, African Americans were allowed to vote in Kentucky for the first time , which again led to unrest because not all whites wanted to accept it. Stevenson resigned from the governor's office on February 3, 1871, to serve in the US Senate , to which he had previously been elected. He was succeeded as governor by Preston Leslie .

Stevenson remained in the Senate until 1877. There he became leader of the Democratic Party. After leaving Congress, he taught law in Cincinnati . In 1880 he was president of the National Democratic Party Convention. He received his last office in 1884 as President of the American Bar Association . He died in August 1886. John Stevenson was married to Sibella Winston, with whom he had six children.

Web links

• John W. Stevenson in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• John W. Stevenson in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• John Stevenson in the National Governors Association (English)