Neill S. Brown

Neill S. Brown (1849)

Neill Smith Brown (born April 18, 1810 in Giles County , Tennessee , † January 30, 1886 ) was an American politician and the 14th governor of the state of Tennessee.

Early years and political advancement

Most of Neill Brown's schooling was self-taught. In 1831 he studied at the Manual Labor Academy , which later became Jackson College . He financed his law studies by teaching. He was admitted to the bar in 1834 and opened a law firm in Giles County a year later . In 1836 he took part in the Seminole War.

A member of the Whig Party , he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for two years in 1837 . In 1843 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States Congress , four years later he ran against incumbent Aaron V. Brown for the office of governor of Tennessee. He could just win this choice. One reason for his election victory, despite the victory against Mexico, was that Americans were tired of war. That would also show in the presidential election a year later, when Zachary Taylor was a candidate for the Whigs.

Governor of Tennessee

Although his party had a majority in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly , there was little he could do as governor. A law on school reform failed in practice due to implementation in the individual districts. It is noteworthy that the era of telegraphy began in Tennessee in his time. In 1849 Brown was defeated by his Democratic challenger William Trousdale in the gubernatorial election .

In 1850 the ex-governor was appointed Ambassador to Russia by President Taylor to succeed Arthur P. Bagby . He held this office until 1852. From 1855 to 1857 he was again a member of the House of Representatives from Tennessee and at times Speaker of the House. Since the Whigs had more or less disbanded, Brown now joined the American Party . In 1861, at the beginning of the civil war , he was a member of the state's military and finance committee. In 1870 he was a delegate to the Tennessee Constituent Convention. He later returned to practice as a lawyer. Neill Brown died on January 30, 1886.

He had eight children with his wife, Mary Ann, with whom he had been married since 1839. His younger brother, John, was governor of Tennessee from 1871 to 1875.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4. Meckler Books, Westport, CT 1978. 4 volumes.
• The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Volume 5. James T. White & Company, New York.

Web links

• Neill S. Brown on the side of the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Tennessee (English)

• Neill S. Brown in the database of Find a Grave (English)