John Brown (Kentucky)

John Brown (Kentucky)

John Brown (September 12, 1757 - August 29, 1837) was an American lawyer and statesman heavily involved with creating the State of Kentucky.

Brown represented Virginia in the Continental Congress (1777-1778) and the U.S. Congress (1789-1791). While in Congress, he introduced the bill granting Statehood to Kentucky. Once that was accomplished, he was elected a U.S. Senator for Kentucky.

Early life

John Brown was born in Staunton, Virginia on September 12, 1757 to Rev. John and Margaret Brown. His father was a Presbyterian minister who had immigrated from Ireland. He had a good formal education, though it was interrupted by periods of military service in the Revolutionary War. Brown first attended the Augusta Academy (now Washington and Lee University) in nearby Lexington (Virginia), then began a course of study at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

Brown left the College of New Jersey in 1778 when the college closed due to the war. In the spring of 1780 he started at William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, but left there in the fall when the British invaded Virginia. After another brief period of military service, John completed his education by reading law in an office maintained by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville. Once admitted to the bar he moved to Danville (which at the time was in Kentucky County, Virginia) and began his law practice.

Politics

Virginia legislature

Brown became politically active after being admitted to the bar, and was elected to the Virginia state Senate, where he served from 1783 to 1788. The Virginia legislature sent him as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1787 and 1788. When the U.S. Constitution became effective, he was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1789 to 1792.

Kentucky statehood

As a Virginia Congressman, Brown introduced the petition for Kentucky Statehood. When Kentucky became a state in 1792, he resigned from the House on June 1, 1792. On June 18, Kentucky elected him to the United States Senate for a term ending in 1793. He was re-elected twice and served until 1805. He was President pro tem during the Eighth Congress. During Brown's Senate service, he moved to Frankfort, Kentucky.

Other works

After leaving the Senate, Brown resumed the practice of law in his new home of Frankfort. He remained active in local civic affairs, and also served briefly as sheriff of Franklin County. He served on the board to oversee the construction of Kentucky's Capitol Building. In 1836, Brown chaired the organizing meeting of the Kentucky Historical Society. He was a cousin of John Breckinridge (1760-1806).

Liberty Hall

John Brown died on August 29, 1837 in Lexington, Kentucky and was brought home to Frankfort for burial. In 1847, he was re-interred in the Frankfort Cemetery. The home he occupied in his later years is preserved as Liberty Hall, a historic site on Wilkinson Street in Frankfort. Liberty Hall is operated as a museum and is open to the public.

External links

*CongBio|B000929
* [http://www.libertyhall.org/index.htm Liberty Hall website]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Brown — may refer to:PoliticiansAmerican(Listed in alphabetical order by state, office)* John Y. Brown, Sr., U.S. Representative (1900–1985) * John Y. Brown, Jr., Governor, 1970s (born 1933) * John Y. Brown, III, Secretary of the State, 1990s * John Y.… …   Wikipedia

  • John Edwards (Kentucky) — John Edwards John Edwards (* 1748 im Stafford County, Virginia; † 1837 bei Paris, Kentucky) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker, der den Bundesstaat Kentucky im US Senat vertrat. John Edwards zog 1780 ins Fayette County, das zu diesem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Edwards (Kentucky) — John Edwards (1748 ndash;1837) was an American planter and statesman who player a key role in securing Kentucky statehood, and represented the new state in the United States Senate.Edwards was born in Stafford County, Virginia and move to Fayette …   Wikipedia

  • John Brown, Jr. — John Young Brown, Jr (* 28. Dezember 1933 im Lexington, Kentucky) ist ein US amerikanischer Politiker und ehemaliger Gouverneur von Kentucky. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Frühe Jahre und politischer Aufstieg 2 Gouverneur von Kentucky …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Brown (Kontinentalkongress) — John Brown John Brown (* 12. September 1757 in Staunton, Virginia; † 29. August 1837 in Lexington, Kentucky) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker, der den Bundesstaat Virginia im Kontinentalkongress vertrat und als einer der beiden ersten US… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Brown — ist der Name folgender Personen: John Brown (Psychiater) (1735–1788), schottischer Arzt, der die medizinische Lehre des Brownianismus entwickelte John Brown (Rhode Island) (1736–1803), US amerikanischer Politiker (Rhode Island) John Brown… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Brown, Jr. — John Brown, Jr. may refer to: * John A. Brown, Jr., an American murderer executed in Louisiana for the murder of Omer Laughlin * John Y. Brown, Jr., Governor of Kentucky from 1980 to 1984ee also*John Brown …   Wikipedia

  • John Breckinridge (1760–1806) — John Breckinridge (December 2, 1760 ndash; December 14, 1806) was a United States Senator and Attorney General. He was the progenitor of the Breckinridge political family.Early Life in VirginiaBorn in Staunton, Virginia, Breckinridge attended the …   Wikipedia

  • John Jordan Crittenden — John J. Crittenden John Jordan Crittenden (* 10. September 1786 oder 1787 in Versailles, Kentucky; † 26. Juli 1863 in Frankfort, Kentucky) war ein US amerikanischer Jurist, Politiker, US Senator …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham — (* 5. August 1865 in Bardstown, Kentucky; † 9. Januar 1940 in Louisville, Kentucky) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und Gouverneur von Kentucky. Außerdem war er Senator für diesen Bundesstaat. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Frühe Jugend und Aufstieg …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”