William Alexander Graham

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William Alexander Graham

William Alexander Graham (born September 5, 1804 in Lincoln County , North Carolina , † August 11, 1875 in Saratoga Springs , New York ) was an American politician and the 30th governor of the state of North Carolina, which he also in the US Senate represented.

Early years

William Graham attended the University of North Carolina until 1824 . He then studied law. After being admitted to the bar in 1825, he opened a law firm in Hillsboro . Between 1833 and 1840 he represented Orange County in the North Carolina House of Representatives . He was twice speaker of the chamber. In 1840 he moved to the US Senate in Washington, DC There he remained until March 1843. For the gubernatorial elections of 1844 he was nominated by the Whigs as a candidate.

North Carolina Governor

Graham won the election in 1844 and was able to secure his re-election two years later. His tenure began on January 1, 1845 and ended on January 1, 1849. During this time, like his predecessors, he promoted the expansion of the railway network and educational policy. A state hospital was also built. The Mexican-American War also took place during his tenure , for which North Carolina also had to deploy some troops.

US Secretary of the Navy and State Senator

Bust of graham

After his tenure in 1849, he was offered the post of US Ambassador to Spain and then to Russia by President Zachary Taylor . Graham turned down both offers. In return, he accepted an offer from President Millard Fillmore to serve as Minister of the Navy in his cabinet . He held this office from 1850 to 1852. For the upcoming presidential election in 1852 , Graham was nominated by the Whigs for the office of vice-president alongside Winfield Scott . However, the election was lost for the party and thus for Graham.

He served in the North Carolina Senate from 1854 to 1866 . It was the time of conflict between the northern and southern states. After the secession, Graham stayed in the Senate of his state, which now became part of the Confederation. He remained there throughout the civil war . He was also a Senator in the Confederation Congress from 1864 to 1865 . After the war he was nominated for the US Senate by the North Carolina Chamber of Representatives in 1866. At that time, however, North Carolina had not yet been accepted back into the Union. Because of this, he was denied his seat in the Washington Senate. Between 1867 and 1875 he was a member of the board of trustees of the Peabody Fund, which supported the beaten south financially in the education sector. From 1873 to 1875 he was a mediator in a border dispute between the states of Virginia and Maryland .

Graham died in 1875. He was married to Susannah Sara Washington. The couple had ten children. His grandson Alexander H. Graham (1890-1977) was Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina between 1933 and 1937 .

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personal data
SURNAME Graham, William Alexander
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH September 5, 1804
PLACE OF BIRTH Lincoln County , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH August 11, 1875
Place of death Saratoga Springs , New York