Thomas Posey

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Thomas Posey

Thomas Posey (born July 9, 1750 in Fairfax County , Colony of Virginia , † March 29, 1818 in Shawneetown , Illinois Territory ) was an American politician and from 1813 to 1816 the last governor of the Indiana Territory . He also represented the state of Louisiana in the US Senate .

Early years

Thomas Posey had a below average upbringing in his native Virginia. In 1769, at the age of 19, he moved to the western border of Virginia to work as a trader or farmer. Due to the constant conflicts with the Indians, he joined the militia in 1774 in order to take action against them. During the War of Independence Posey rose to lieutenant colonel. He was promoted in his career by George Washington . Rumors later circulated in Washington that Posey was an illegitimate son of the first US president ; However, these could not be proven and today they are considered rather improbable. After the end of the war, Posey stayed in the Continental Army . He rose to brigadier general and fought alongside General Anthony Wayne against the Indians in the northwest of the country. In 1794 he resigned from the military and moved to Kentucky .

Political rise

In Kentucky, Posey became politically active. He was elected to the State Senate and in 1806 he was elected lieutenant governor under Governor Christopher Greenup . When the threat to the western border from the British and Indians increased in 1809, Posey returned to military activity as major general of the militia. He held this post until 1810. Then he moved to Louisiana. There he was sent to Washington, DC for a short time as a US Senator in 1812/13 . He ran for re-election, but lost to James Brown .

Indiana career and end of life

In 1813, President James Madison named Posey the new governor of the Indiana Territory. His predecessor, William Henry Harrison , had been absent for military duties since 1812, and Secretary of State John Gibson had held the post on a provisional basis until Posey's arrival. During Gibson's tenure, Indiana's entry as a state into the United States was prepared, which took place in 1816. Due to health problems, he did not officiate in the actual capital Corydon , but in Jeffersonville . In doing so, he drew criticism from the opposition because he was difficult to reach. In the first gubernatorial elections in Indiana, Posey was defeated by Jonathan Jennings , the candidate for the Democratic Republican Party . In 1817 he also lost the election for a seat in the US Senate. Instead, after the end of his tenure as governor, he was appointed the federal government's Indian commissioner for the Illinois Territory .

Thomas Posey died in Illinois on March 29, 1818. He was married twice and had a total of at least ten children.

According to him, Posey County named in Indiana.

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personal data
SURNAME Posey, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH July 9, 1750
PLACE OF BIRTH Fairfax County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH March 29, 1818
Place of death Shawneetown , Illinois