William CC Claiborne

William Charles Cole Claiborne (* around 1775 in Sussex County , Colony of Virginia ; † November 23, 1817 in New Orleans , Louisiana ) was an American politician and the first governor of the state of Louisiana from 1812 to 1816 . He was also a member of the US House of Representatives for Tennessee from 1797 to 1801 and US Senator for Louisiana in 1817 .

Live and act

Youth and political advancement

Claiborne's exact date of birth is unknown. However, the sources assume the year 1775. He moved to Richmond where he attended private school. He also briefly attended William and Mary College . At the age of 16, he moved to New York City , then the federal capital of the United States. There he got a job in the administration of the US House of Representatives. After the capital was moved to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Claiborne also moved there. After studying law in Richmond, Virginia, he moved to Sullivan County , Tennessee, to work as a lawyer.

In Tennessee, Claiborne was a member of the constituent assembly of that state in 1796. In the same year he was appointed a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court by Governor John Sevier . A year later, although he had not yet reached the required minimum age of 25, he was elected to the US House of Representatives. Despite his age, he was allowed to represent his state there between 1797 and 1801. After leaving Congress , he was named governor of the Mississippi Territory . He held this office from 1801 to 1803. In 1803 he was one of the agents of the American federal government overseeing the transfer to the United States of Louisiana territory acquired from France by Thomas Jefferson .

Claiborne as territorial governor

Between 1804 and 1812 Claiborne was governor of the Orleans Territory , which later became the state of Louisiana. At first, his relationships with the native Creole population were strained. In the course of time, however, he was able to gain their trust. During his time as territorial governor, he took in many refugees from Haiti who had fled the revolution there. In addition, many Americans from other US states moved to its territory. On the other hand, there were also some slave revolts there, which Claiborne had put down. After West Florida declared independence from Spain in 1810, Claiborne annexed the area on the orders of President James Madison , who considered this part of Florida to be part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Louisiana Governor

In 1812, the Orleans Territory joined the United States as an independent state under the name Louisiana. In the first gubernatorial elections, Claiborne was elected the first governor of the new state by both the people and the legislature. According to the state constitution, the legislature had the final say in the gubernatorial election. It had to choose the governor from among the top two winners in the open election. This procedure was not changed until 1845. Claiborne took up his new office on July 30, 1812. During his tenure, the War of 1812 fell , to which Louisiana also had to contribute. In addition, the governor had to deal with building a new school and education system.

Election to the Senate

After the end of his term on December 16, 1816, Claiborne was elected to the US Senate. His term of office there began on March 4, 1817. However, he died before the constituent meeting of this body. Henry Johnson succeeded him in the Senate .

William Claiborne was married three times and had a total of four children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Claiborne, William CC
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Claiborne, William Charles Cole (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	around 1775
PLACE OF BIRTH	Sussex County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH	November 23, 1817
Place of death	New Orleans , Louisiana