George W. Crawford
Encyclopedia
George Walker Crawford was a Georgia
politician during the nineteenth century. He served as the 38th Governor of Georgia from 1843 to 1847 and United States Secretary of War
1849 to 1850. He was the cousin of William H. Crawford
.
, the fourth son of American Revolutionary War
veteran Peter Crawford and Mary Ann Crawford. He graduated from the College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1820. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1822, starting practice in Augusta, Georgia
with Henry Harford Cumming
. He received a Master of Arts
from the University of Georgia
and in 1826 married Mary Ann Macintosh, orphaned daughter of John and Mary (McKinne)Macintosh. There were four children: William Peter Crawford; Sarah Macintosh Crawford who became the wife of Samuel Warren Mays; Anna Elizabeth Crawford; and Charles A. Crawford.
appointed Crawford attorney general
of Georgia
in 1827. The next year, Crawford challenged congressman Thomas E. Burnside to a duel
over a series of accusations that Burnside published about Crawford's father. He shot Burnside dead, thus winning the fight. It did not affect his career and he continued to serve as attorney general until 1831.
as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
. There, Crawford distinguished himself as a fiscal conservative. He was elevated to the United States House of Representatives
as a Whig
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Richard W. Habersham
. His term there was short, only serving from January 7 to March 3, 1843.
He was elected Governor of Georgia, defeating Mark Anthony Cooper
, becoming the only Whig to served a Georgia state
governor. As governor, he helped expand the Western and Atlantic Railroad
, redraw congressional maps and establish the Supreme Court of Georgia. He also focused on dismantling the Georgia Central Bank
and reformed the state penitentiary to make it a more economically sound institution. In 1845, he won a second term.
Zachary Taylor
became President of the United States
in 1849, he appointed Crawford Secretary of War
. As War Secretary, he was involved in settling a claim from the United States government for the Galphin family, descendants of Native American
trader George Galphin
. He received a large share of the settlement for his services. He resigned with the rest of the Taylor administration in 1850 when Millard Fillmore
became president after Taylor's sudden death in office.
in the Georgia State Secession Convention
. Delegates selected Crawford as chairman for the proceedings and he oversaw the vote of secession. He died at his estate, located in the village of "Bel Air," near Augusta, Georgia
on July 27, 1872. He was buried in the Summerville Cemetery
located in Augusta.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
politician during the nineteenth century. He served as the 38th Governor of Georgia from 1843 to 1847 and United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
1849 to 1850. He was the cousin of William H. Crawford
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.-Political...
.
Early life
Crawford was born in Columbia County, GeorgiaColumbia County, Georgia
Columbia County is a county located in the US state of Georgia along the Savannah River. As of 2010 the population was 124,054 a growth of 39% from the 2000 census figure of 89,288. The de jure county seat is Appling. Appling is an unincorporated area, making Columbia one of only three counties...
, the fourth son of American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran Peter Crawford and Mary Ann Crawford. He graduated from the College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1820. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1822, starting practice in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
with Henry Harford Cumming
Henry Harford Cumming
Henry Harford Cumming was an important figure in antebellum Augusta, Georgia.His main business was in cotton but he also engaged J. Edgar Thomson to design the Augusta Canal to run his mills and had also started a law firm with politician George W. Crawford...
. He received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and in 1826 married Mary Ann Macintosh, orphaned daughter of John and Mary (McKinne)Macintosh. There were four children: William Peter Crawford; Sarah Macintosh Crawford who became the wife of Samuel Warren Mays; Anna Elizabeth Crawford; and Charles A. Crawford.
Attorney General of Georgia
Georgia Governor John ForsythJohn Forsyth (politician)
John Forsyth, Sr. was a 19th-century American politician from Georgia.Forsyth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His father Robert Forsyth was the first U.S. Marshal to be killed in the line of duty in 1794. He was an attorney who graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1799...
appointed Crawford attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 1827. The next year, Crawford challenged congressman Thomas E. Burnside to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
over a series of accusations that Burnside published about Crawford's father. He shot Burnside dead, thus winning the fight. It did not affect his career and he continued to serve as attorney general until 1831.
Congressman
In 1837, Crawford was elected to the Georgia General AssemblyGeorgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
. There, Crawford distinguished himself as a fiscal conservative. He was elevated to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Richard W. Habersham
Richard W. Habersham
Richard Wylly Habersham was an American lawyer from Savannah, Georgia. Habersham graduated from Princeton College in 1810. He was appointed United States Attorney and served until his resignation in 1825. Running as a Whig, he was elected as a representative of Georgia in the United States House...
. His term there was short, only serving from January 7 to March 3, 1843.
Governor of Georgia
Mark Anthony Cooper
For other people with the same name, see Mark CooperMark Anthony Cooper was a United States Representative, businessman and lawyer from Georgia. His cousin was U.S...
, becoming the only Whig to served a Georgia state
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
governor. As governor, he helped expand the Western and Atlantic Railroad
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia' is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee....
, redraw congressional maps and establish the Supreme Court of Georgia. He also focused on dismantling the Georgia Central Bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
and reformed the state penitentiary to make it a more economically sound institution. In 1845, he won a second term.
Secretary of War
After GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
became President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1849, he appointed Crawford Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
. As War Secretary, he was involved in settling a claim from the United States government for the Galphin family, descendants of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trader George Galphin
George Galphin
George Galphin was an American Indian trader, Indian Commissioner, and plantation owner who lived and conducted business in the colonies of Georgia and South Carolina, primarily around what is today the Augusta, Georgia, area.-Early life:...
. He received a large share of the settlement for his services. He resigned with the rest of the Taylor administration in 1850 when Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
became president after Taylor's sudden death in office.
Georgia Secession Convention and death
In 1861, Crawford was elected to represent Richmond County, GeorgiaRichmond County, Georgia
Richmond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. As of 2010, the population was 200,549. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 199,486....
in the Georgia State Secession Convention
Ordinance of Secession
The Ordinance of Secession was the document drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861 by the states officially seceding from the United States of America...
. Delegates selected Crawford as chairman for the proceedings and he oversaw the vote of secession. He died at his estate, located in the village of "Bel Air," near Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
on July 27, 1872. He was buried in the Summerville Cemetery
Summerville Cemetery
-Notable interments:*George Walker Crawford, Governor of Georgia, United States Secretary of War*Alfred Cumming, Confederate General in the American Civil War*William Henry Fleming, congressman...
located in Augusta.
External links
- George W. Crawford at The New Georgia Encyclopedia
- "Death of Ex-Governor Crawford", Federal Union (Milledgeville), August 7, 1872. From the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive, Digital Library of Georgia.
- George W. Crawford at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...