John Forsyth Sr. (October 22, 1780 – October 21, 1841) was a 19th-century American politician from Georgia. He represented the state in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and also served as the 33rd Governor of Georgia. As a supporter of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, Forsyth was appointed the 13th United States Secretary of State by Jackson in 1834, and continued in that role until 1841 during the presidency of Martin Van Buren. He also served as US Minister to Spain during the presidency of James Monroe.
John Forsyth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 13th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office July 1, 1834 – March 4, 1841 | |
| President | Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren |
| Preceded by | Louis McLane |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Webster |
| United States Senator from Georgia | |
| In office November 9, 1829 – June 27, 1834 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Berrien |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Cuthbert |
| In office November 23, 1818 – February 17, 1819 | |
| Preceded by | George Troup |
| Succeeded by | Freeman Walker |
| 33rd Governor of Georgia | |
| In office November 7, 1827 – November 4, 1829 | |
| Preceded by | George Troup |
| Succeeded by | George Gilmer |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1827 – November 7, 1827 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency reestablished |
| Succeeded by | Richard Henry Wilde |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's at-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1827 | |
| Preceded by | Robert R. Reid |
| Succeeded by | Districts established |
| In office March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1818 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Robert R. Reid |
| United States Minister to Spain | |
| In office May 18, 1819 – March 2, 1823 | |
| President | James Monroe |
| Preceded by | George W. Erving |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Nelson |
| 12th Attorney General of Georgia | |
| In office 1808–1811 | |
| Governor | Jared Irwin David Mitchell |
| Preceded by | John Hamil |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Allen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 22, 1780 Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 1841 (aged 60) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican (before 1825) Democratic (1825–1841) |
| Education | College of New Jersey (BA) (renamed Princeton) |
| Signature |  |
Early life
editForsyth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His father, Robert Forsyth, a Scottish immigrant, was the first U.S. Marshal to be killed in the line of duty in 1794.[1][2] He was an attorney who graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1799. He married Clara Meigs, daughter of Josiah Meigs, in 1801. One of his sons, John Forsyth, Jr., later became a newspaper editor.
Political life
editForsyth served in the United States House of Representatives (1813–1818 and 1823–1827), the United States Senate (1818–1819 and 1829–1834), and as the 33rd Governor of Georgia (1827–1829). He was the United States Secretary of State from 1834 until 1841. In this role he led the government's response to the Amistad case.[3] He was a loyal follower of Andrew Jackson[4] and opposed John C. Calhoun in the issue of nullification. Forsyth was appointed as Secretary of State in reward for his efforts. He led the pro-removal reply to Theodore Frelinghuysen about the Indian Removal Act of 1830.[5][6] He supported slavery and was a slaveholder himself.[7]
Death and legacy
editForsyth died in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Congressional Cemetery. Forsyth County, Georgia,[8] Forsyth, Georgia,[9] and Forsyth Park[10] in Savannah are named for him.[11] He died the day before his 61st birthday.
In popular culture
edit- In the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie, Amistad, Forsyth was played by character actor David Paymer.[12]
Notes
edit- ^ Brown, Russell K. (Fall 2008). "Killed in the Line of Duty: Marshal Robert Harriss, Jr., of Summerville, Georgia". Georgia Historical Quarterly. 92 (3). Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Whitmire, Kelly (January 25, 2019). "What's in a name? Historian talks about where road, area names originated in Cumming, Forsyth County". Forsyth News. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ Unger, Harlow G. (2012). John Quincy Adams. Boston: Da Capo Press. p. 292. ISBN 9780306822650. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ Howe, Daniel Walker (2007). What Hath God Wrought : The Transformation of America, 1815–1848. Oxford University Press: New York. p. 346. ISBN 9780195078947. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ Cheathem, Mark Renfred (2014). Andrew Jackson, Southerner. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-0807150986.
- ^ Morris, Michael (Winter 2007). "Georgia and the Conversation over Indian Removal". Georgia Historical Quarterly. 91 (4). Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Finkelman, Paul; Kennon, Donald R. (2010). In the shadow of freedom : the politics of slavery in the national capital. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0821419342.
- ^ "Forsyth County historical marker". Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ "Forsyth historical marker". Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ "Forsyth Park historical marker". Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 128.
- ^ "Amistad (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. December 10, 1997. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
References
edit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress- Duckett, Alvin Laroy (1962). John Forsyth, political tactician. Athens: University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0820335346. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "John Forsyth (id: F000284)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- John Forsyth at Find a Grave
- Biography at Players in the Amistad Affair
- [permanent dead link] Letter, 1825 Mar. 5, Washington, [D.C. to] G[eorge] M. Troup, [Governor of Georgia] / John Forsyth
- [permanent dead link] [Letter] 1826 June 15, Sand Hills, [Georgia] / John Forsyth
- [permanent dead link] [Letter] 1827 Dec 12, Milledgeville, Georgia, [to Governor] of Tennessee, Sam[ue]l Houston / John Forsyth, Gov[ernor of Georgia]
- [permanent dead link] [Letter] 1830 Jan 24, Georgetown, District of Columbia [to] George R. Gilmer, Governor of Georgia / John Forsyth