John Brooks was the 11th Governor of Massachusetts

Governor of Massachusetts

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...

 from 1816 to 1823; he was the last significant Federalist

Federalist Party (United States)

The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...

 elected official in office in the United States.

Before entering public life, John Brooks had established careers in medicine and as a military leader during the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

. Having already trained as a doctor in his hometown of Medford, he began his medical practice in Reading, where he became the Captain of the Reading Minutemen. He led them in the Battle of Concord and at Bunker Hill

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...

. He accepted a commission as Captain in the Continental Army

Continental Army

The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...

 and took part in battles in White Plains

Battle of White Plains

The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...

, Valley Forge

Valley Forge

Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...

, and Long Island.

He returned to take over the practice of his mentor Dr. Simon Tufts in 1783, and two years later was elected to the General Court

Massachusetts General Court

The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...

. He was appointed Major General of the Middlesex Militia in 1786, which he led in suppressing Shays' Rebellion

Shays' Rebellion

Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....

. He was appointed Adjutant General (1812–1816) and won the governorship with the Federalist Party

Federalist Party (United States)

The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...

 in 1816.

It was during Brooks's tenure that Massachusetts' territory of Maine

District of Maine

The District of Maine was a legal designation for what is now the U.S. state of Maine from American independence until the Missouri Compromise on March 4, 1820, after which it gained its independence from Massachusetts and became the 23rd state in the Union...

 became an independent state. Having served seven terms, Brooks declined to run for an eighth term and retired to private life. His body is interred at Salem Street Burying Ground

Salem Street Burying Ground

Salem Street Burying Ground is a cemetery located at the intersection of Salem Street and Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The Salem Street Burying Ground was used exclusively in the late 17th century to late 19th century for the burial of the town's wealthy.The Salem Street Burying...

 in Medford, Massachusetts

Medford, Massachusetts

Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...

.

The Maine towns of Brooks

Brooks, Maine

Brooks is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,022 at the 2000 census.The town was named after John Brooks, the Federalist candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1815-1816, when the town incorporated. The town of Dexter, which incorporated the same year, was named...

, established in 1816, and Brooksville

Brooksville, Maine

Brooksville is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 934. It contains the villages of North Brooksville, South Brooksville , West Brooksville, Brooksville Corner, and Harborside .-History:It was first settled by John Wasson, Samuel Wasson and...

, in 1817, were named for him.

Source

• Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography
• John Brooks Genealogy Wiki Genealogy profile for Governor Brooks