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John Reynolds (U.S. politician)
Encyclopedia
John Reynolds was a United States politician from the state of Illinois
. He was one of the original four justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, 1818–1825, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from 1826–1830, 1846–1848, and 1852–1854 (when he was Speaker of the House), and the 4th Illinois Governor from 1830–1834. He also represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives
, 1834–1837 and 1839–1843.
Reynolds was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
. His father, Robert Reynolds and his mother, née Margaret Moore, were both natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785, arriving first at Philadelphia. When Reynolds was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him to Tennessee
, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast of the present city of Knoxville
. After experiencing harassment
from Native Americans fighting encroachment by white settlers upon their territory, the Reynolds moved into the interior of the state. They were poor, and brought up their children to habits of manual industry.
In 1800 the family moved to Kaskaskia, Illinois
, where Reynolds spent most of his childhood. As part of his upbringing, he adopted the principle and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors. In 1807 the family made another move, this time to the Goshen Settlement
, at the foot of the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River
southwest of Edwardsville
.
At the age of twenty, Reynolds attended college for two years near Knoxville, Tennessee, where he had relatives, taking courses in classical studies. He then studied law in Knoxville, but health problems forced him to return home to Illinois. In the fall of 1812 he was admitted to the bar
at Kaskaskia. About this time he also learned the French language, which he regarded as being superior to all others for social intercourse.
With the ranks of private and orderly sergeant, Reynolds served as a scout in campaigns against the western Native Americans during the War of 1812
. For this service, Reynolds became known as the "Old Ranger." In 1814, Reynolds opened a law office in the old French village of Cahokia
, then the county seat of St. Clair County
.
In the fall of 1818 he was elected an associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court by the Illinois General Assembly
. In 1818, he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate
. In 1826, he was elected a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
for the first time, serving until 1830. Although aligning himself with the Jacksonian Democrats
, his moderation earned him respect from both pro-Jackson and anti-Jackson factions.
In August 1830, Reynolds was elected governor of Illinois and took office on December 6. The most significant event of his administration was the Black Hawk War
in 1832. He called out the militia, and was field commander, often appearing in person on the battle-grounds. He was recognized by U.S. President
Andrew Jackson
as Major-General, and was authorized to make treaties with the Indians. On November 17, 1834, Reynolds resigned as governor, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives
for the Twenty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Slade
. He was reelected to the Twenty-fourth Congress, serving from December 1, 1834 to March 3, 1837. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress. He was subsequently elected to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses, serving from March 4, 1839 to March 3, 1843.
In 1837, while out of Congress and in company with a few others, he built the first railroad in the Mississippi Valley, about six miles (10 km) long, leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to the bank of the river opposite St. Louis
. Not having the funds to purchase a locomotive, the railroad was operated by horse-power. The next spring, however, the company sold out at great loss.
In 1839 Reynolds was appointed one of the Canal Commissioners and traveled to Philadelphia to raise funds for that purpose. During that year, he also made a tour of Europe with his wife and introduced the noted Mormon
Prophet, Joseph Smith to President Martin Van Buren
.
Reynolds was elected in 1846 for one term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from St. Clair County
. He was again elected in 1852, serving as Speaker of the House.
In 1860, aged and infirm, he attended the Democratic National Convention
in Charleston, South Carolina
, as an anti-Douglas
Delegate, instead supporting John C. Breckinridge
in the U.S. presidential election.
He was married twice, but had no children. He died in Belleville
in May 1865, just after the close of the Civil War
, and is interred at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was one of the original four justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, 1818–1825, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
from 1826–1830, 1846–1848, and 1852–1854 (when he was Speaker of the House), and the 4th Illinois Governor from 1830–1834. He also represented Illinois in 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...
, 1834–1837 and 1839–1843.
Reynolds was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
. His father, Robert Reynolds and his mother, née Margaret Moore, were both natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785, arriving first at Philadelphia. When Reynolds was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him 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...
, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast of the present city of Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. After experiencing harassment
Harassment
Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing...
from Native Americans fighting encroachment by white settlers upon their territory, the Reynolds moved into the interior of the state. They were poor, and brought up their children to habits of manual industry.
In 1800 the family moved to Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
, where Reynolds spent most of his childhood. As part of his upbringing, he adopted the principle and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors. In 1807 the family made another move, this time to the Goshen Settlement
Goshen Settlement
The Goshen Settlement was an early American pioneer settlement in what is now Illinois, USA, located to the east of St. Louis, Missouri. The settlement was located about one mile southwest of modern Glen Carbon, Illinois, at the point where Judy's Creek emerges from the bluffs into the American...
, at the foot of the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
southwest of Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
.
At the age of twenty, Reynolds attended college for two years near Knoxville, Tennessee, where he had relatives, taking courses in classical studies. He then studied law in Knoxville, but health problems forced him to return home to Illinois. In the fall of 1812 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:...
at Kaskaskia. About this time he also learned the French language, which he regarded as being superior to all others for social intercourse.
With the ranks of private and orderly sergeant, Reynolds served as a scout in campaigns against the western Native Americans during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. For this service, Reynolds became known as the "Old Ranger." In 1814, Reynolds opened a law office in the old French village of Cahokia
Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...
, then the county seat of St. Clair County
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
.
In the fall of 1818 he was elected an associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court by the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
. In 1818, he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. In 1826, he was elected a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
for the first time, serving until 1830. Although aligning himself with the Jacksonian Democrats
Jacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
, his moderation earned him respect from both pro-Jackson and anti-Jackson factions.
In August 1830, Reynolds was elected governor of Illinois and took office on December 6. The most significant event of his administration was the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
in 1832. He called out the militia, and was field commander, often appearing in person on the battle-grounds. He was recognized by U.S. President
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....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
as Major-General, and was authorized to make treaties with the Indians. On November 17, 1834, Reynolds resigned as governor, having been elected 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...
for the Twenty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Slade
Charles Slade
Charles Slade was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in England, Slade immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended the public schools. He moved to Carlyle, Illinois. He engaged in mercantile pursuits. He held several local offices...
. He was reelected to the Twenty-fourth Congress, serving from December 1, 1834 to March 3, 1837. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress. He was subsequently elected to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses, serving from March 4, 1839 to March 3, 1843.
In 1837, while out of Congress and in company with a few others, he built the first railroad in the Mississippi Valley, about six miles (10 km) long, leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to the bank of the river opposite St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Not having the funds to purchase a locomotive, the railroad was operated by horse-power. The next spring, however, the company sold out at great loss.
In 1839 Reynolds was appointed one of the Canal Commissioners and traveled to Philadelphia to raise funds for that purpose. During that year, he also made a tour of Europe with his wife and introduced the noted Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
Prophet, Joseph Smith to President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
.
Reynolds was elected in 1846 for one term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from St. Clair County
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
. He was again elected in 1852, serving as Speaker of the House.
In 1860, aged and infirm, he attended the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, as an anti-Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
Delegate, instead supporting John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
in the U.S. presidential election.
He was married twice, but had no children. He died in Belleville
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
in May 1865, just after the close 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...
, and is interred at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville.
External links
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887 Milan Girls
- The Romantic Story of Cahokia, Illinois