Alvin Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Alvin Hawkins was governor of Tennessee from 1881 to 1883.
who had been brought to Tennessee
at age four. He was admitted to the bar
as an attorney
in 1843 and opened a law practice. In his early political career, Hawkins was a Whig.
Elected to Congress
in 1862 as a Union supporter, Hawkins was denied his seat due to the secession
of Tennessee from the Union (an act by his fellow Representatives that would seem to suggest that secession was legally possible and binding). He was later appointed United States Attorney
for West Tennessee
during the latter stages of the Civil War
.
Hawkins was elected governor
as a Republican
in 1880. Partly due to difficulties caused by the state's relatively large indebtedness, despite being renominated by the Republican Party in 1882 he was defeated in November of that year by Democrat
challenger William B. Bate
. After Hawkins' term ended in 1883, only two more Republicans were to serve as governor of Tennessee, for a total of only six years, until the election of Winfield Dunn
in 1970.
Biography
He was a native of KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
who had been brought to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
at age four. He was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
as an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in 1843 and opened a law practice. In his early political career, Hawkins was a Whig.
Elected to Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1862 as a Union supporter, Hawkins was denied his seat due to the secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of Tennessee from the Union (an act by his fellow Representatives that would seem to suggest that secession was legally possible and binding). He was later appointed United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
during the latter stages of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Hawkins was elected governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in 1880. Partly due to difficulties caused by the state's relatively large indebtedness, despite being renominated by the Republican Party in 1882 he was defeated in November of that year by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
challenger William B. Bate
William B. Bate
William Brimage Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883 to 1887 and subsequently a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1887 until his death...
. After Hawkins' term ended in 1883, only two more Republicans were to serve as governor of Tennessee, for a total of only six years, until the election of Winfield Dunn
Winfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
in 1970.