William Branch Giles

William Branch Giles (born August 12, 1762 in Amelia County , Colony of Virginia , † December 4, 1830 ibid) was an American politician and governor of Virginia from 1827 to 1830 . He also represented his state in both chambers of the US Congress .

Early years and political advancement

William Giles attended the Prince Edward Academy , from which today's Hampden-Sydney College arose, and then until 1781 the College of New Jersey , now Princeton University . He then studied law at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg and was admitted to the bar in 1786. He then practiced in Petersburg .

Giles was then a member of the Democratic Republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson . After the death of Congressman Theodorick Bland , Giles took over his seat in the US House of Representatives . After he was subsequently elected several times to this body, he was able to exercise his mandate between December 7, 1790 and October 2, 1798. On that day he resigned for health reasons and anger over the so-called Alien and Sedition Acts of the federal government under President John Adams . During this time he supported his fellow party member James Madison in his dispute with Alexander Hamilton . William Giles served in the Virginia House of Representatives from 1798 to 1800 . From March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1803, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives for another term.

William Giles in the US Senate

After Abraham B. Venable's resignation , Giles took over his Class 1 seat in the US Senate . He exercised this mandate for just under four months until December 3, 1804. In the meantime he had been elected to succeed Wilson Cary Nicholas and Andrew Moore as Class 2 Senator. Overall, Giles was a member of the Senate between August 11, 1804 and March 3, 1815. There he campaigned unsuccessfully for the dismissal of the controversial federal judge Samuel Chase . He initially supported President Madison's policies, but then distanced himself from him, despite reluctantly voting for the British-American War of 1812 . Giles didn’t get along with Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin at all; he prevented a possible appointment of Gallatin as foreign minister. On March 3, 1815, Giles resigned two years before the end of his term. In 1825 he tried again for a seat in the Senate, but was not elected by the Virginia legislature.

Governor of Virginia

In the years 1816 and 1817 and between 1826 and 1827 he was once again a member of the Virginia House of Representatives. He became an opponent of President John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay , whose policies he condemned. After the dissolution of his party, he joined the new Democratic Party of Andrew Jackson . In 1825, William Giles ran unsuccessfully for return to the US Senate. Two years later he was elected the new governor of his state. He held this office between March 4, 1827 and March 4, 1830. In 1829 and 1830 he was a delegate to a conference to revise the Virginia constitution. In 1830 he was elected governor again. However, Giles refused this choice. He died in December of the same year. Governor William Giles was married twice.

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personal data
SURNAME	Giles, William Branch
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	August 12, 1762
PLACE OF BIRTH	Amelia County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH	December 4, 1830
Place of death	Amelia County , Virginia