William Rabun

William Rabun (born April 8, 1771 in Halifax County , Province of North Carolina , † October 24, 1819 in Powelton , Georgia ) was an American politician and governor of Georgia.

Early years and political advancement

The son of Sarah and Matthew Rabun moved with his parents to what would later become Hancock County in Georgia in 1785 . There the family settled in Powelton, a place about 15 kilometers northeast of Sparta . Like many residents in the rural districts of the time, William acquired his school knowledge by reading and observing himself. He also became a staunch Baptist.

His political career began in 1805 when he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives . From 1810 to 1817 he was a member of the State Senate . In 1817 he was the chairman of this body. According to the constitution, the chairman of the Senate, as the deputy governor, had to represent or replace the governor in the event of inability to officiate. That case occurred in 1817 when incumbent Governor David Brydie Mitchell was appointed federal agent for the Cherokee by President James Madison . Mitchell therefore had to give up his governorship, which now fell to Rabun.

Georgia Governor

In November 1817, Rabun then managed to be elected governor for a full term. He was a member of the Democratic Republican Party , which was without any opposition in either Georgia or the United States in those days. As governor, Rabun campaigned for free public schools and an improvement in the country's infrastructure, especially river navigation. During his tenure there was also the so-called First Seminole War (1817-1818). Several Indian raids had taken place on the southern border of Georgia, to which the governor responded by deploying militia. Some Indian villages were destroyed and burned down. In the course of these events, a controversy arose between the governor and the general and later US President Andrew Jackson , who had campaigned for a certain village that was accidentally destroyed by the militia. In October 1819, shortly before the end of his two-year term as governor, Rabun fell ill with a fever and died unexpectedly on the 24th of the same month in his hometown of Powelton. Senate President Matthew Talbot assumed the office of governor for the remaining two weeks of the tenure .

Since 1793 Rabun was married to Mary Battle, with whom he had a son and six daughters. The Rabun County , Georgia is named after him.

literature

• James F. Cook: The Governors of Georgia 1754-2004. 3rd edition, Mercer University Press, Macon (Georgia) 2005.
• Rabun County Heritage Book Committee: Rabun County, Georgia, and Its People. Don Mills, Waynesville, NC 1992.

Web links

• The New Georgia Encyclopedia (English)
• William Rabun in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• William Rabun in the National Governors Association (English)