John M. Reynolds
[ Also transcribed at] (February 26, 1788May 8, 1865) was a United States lawyer and politician from the state of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
who served in all three governmental branches. One of the original four justices of the
Illinois Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ...
(1818–1825), he later won election several times to the
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...
(1826–1830, 1846–1848, and 1852–1854, including as Speaker of the House) and the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
(1834–1837 and 1839–1843), and as 4th
Illinois Governor
The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...
(1830–1834). He also took the rank of major general of the Illinois militia during the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...
.
He published a large autobiography titled ''My Own Times''.
[ Also transcribed at ]
Early life
Reynolds was born in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the List of counties in Pennsylvania, third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the List of the most populous cou ...
.
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
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
. When Reynolds was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him to
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the
Copper Ridge Mountain, about northeast of the present city of
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
. After experiencing raids from
Native Americans, the Reynolds moved into the interior of the state in 1794. They were poor, and brought up their children to habits of manual industry.
In 1800 the family moved to near
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois. Having been inhabited by indigenous peoples, it was settled by France as part of the Illinois Country. It was named for the Kaskaskia people. Its population peaked at about 7,000 in the 18th ...
,
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
The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
southwest of
Edwardsville.
At the age of twenty, Reynolds attended college for two years near
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the stat ...
, where he had relatives, taking courses in classical studies. He then studied law in Knoxville; health problems forced him back to Illinois, but he afterward returned to college and law in Knoxville.
In the fall of 1812 he was admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar ( ...
at Kaskaskia,
and began practicing law in
Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia was a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It was located east of the Mississippi River in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, 15,241 people lived in the village, a decline from 16,391 in 20 ...
,
opening his first law office there over the winter of 1813–1814.
About this time he also learned the French language, which he regarded as being superior to all others for social intercourse.
Military service
He also served as
Judge Advocate
Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions.
Australia
The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that prov ...
.
For this service, Reynolds became known as the "Old Ranger".
In 1814, Reynolds opened a law office in the old French village of
Cahokia
The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
, then the county seat of
St. Clair County.
Politics
In the fall of 1818, John Reynolds was elected an associate justice of the
Illinois Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ...
by the
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 181 ...
.
In 1822, he was joined on the court by
Thomas Reynolds, but both were defeated for re-election in 1824; John Reynolds went on to become Governor of Illinois in 1830 and Thomas Reynolds became Governor of Missouri in 1840. Despite some biographies stating that the two men were brothers or uncle and nephew, a 1961 historical journal letter states that the two were not related: John Reynolds had a brother named Thomas Reynolds — or Thomas Michael Reynolds in one of his obituaries — but that brother owned a livery stable and dry goods store in Belleville; neither John nor his brother Thomas were any relation to the Thomas that served with John on the Supreme Court.
In 1818, John Reynolds was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
.
In 1826, he was elected a member of the
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...
for the first time, serving until 1830.
Although aligning himself with the
Jacksonian Democrats
Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21, and restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, And ...
, his moderation earned him respect from both pro-Jackson and anti-Jackson factions.
In August 1830, Reynolds was elected
governor of Illinois
The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...
and took office on December 6, 1830,
giving an inaugural address that advocated for free popular education, general internal public improvements, the completion of the
Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the improvement of the Chicago harbor.
He also advocated and recommended the completion of the
first state penitentiary at Alton, at the direct cost of the state.
The most significant event of his administration was the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...
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
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
as Major-General, and was authorized to make treaties with the Native Americans.
Asiatic Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
was a prominent feature of Reynolds' gubernatorial term.
On November 17, 1834, Reynolds resigned as governor, having been elected to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
for the
Twenty-third Congress
The 23rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1833, ...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Charles Slade
Charles Slade ( – July 26, 1834) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Born in England, Slade immigrated to the United States with his third-cousin and mother, who settled in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended the public schools. He moved ...
. He was reelected to the
Twenty-fourth Congress
The 24th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1835, ...
, serving from December 1, 1834, to March 3, 1837. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the
Twenty-fifth Congress
The 25th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 183 ...
. 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
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
, 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 () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. 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.
He introduced the Latter-day Saint Prophet,
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, h ...
to President
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...
when Smith was seeking redress for the grievances that the Latter-day Saints suffered in Missouri.
This was done by Reynolds with the hope of winning the votes of the growing number of Latter-day Saints in Illinois in latter political contests.
[ Matthew J. Grow et al, ''The Standard of Truth'' Vol 1 of ''Saints: The Story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'', p. 407]
Reynolds was elected in 1846 for one term as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from
St. Clair County;
during this term he caused to be built the first
macadamized
Macadam is a type of road construction, pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam around 1820, in which crushed stone is placed in shallow, convex layers and compacted thoroughly. A binding layer of stone dust (crushed stone from the o ...
road in the state, from Belleville to St. Louis.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for the
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...
in 1848. He was again elected to the Illinois House in 1852, serving as
Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives is seventh (behind the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, and President of the Senate, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Go ...
.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for
Illinois State Superintendent of Schools in 1858, and then engaged in newspaper work.
In 1860, aged and infirm, he attended the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) 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 18 ...
in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, as an anti-
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...
delegate, instead supporting
John C. Breckinridge in the
U.S. presidential election
The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not di ...
. However, against the Republican
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
in the same year, Reynolds published his support for Douglas.
His correspondence before and during the Civil War showed a sympathy for secession.
Personal life
He was married twice — to Catherine Dubuque in 1817 and to Sarah E. Wilson in 1836
— but had no children.
He died in
Belleville in May 1865, just after the close of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
, and is interred at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, John
1788 births
19th-century American politicians
1865 deaths
American autobiographers
American militia generals
American militiamen in the War of 1812
American people of Irish descent
American people of the Black Hawk War
Burials in Illinois
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
Democratic Party governors of Illinois
Illinois Jacksonians
Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court
People from Cahokia, Illinois
People from Kaskaskia, Illinois
People from Madison County, Illinois
Speakers of the Illinois House of Representatives