Hugh Anderson Haralson (November 13, 1805 – September 25, 1854) was an American farmer, lawyer and politician based in Lagrange, Georgia.

Early years and education

Hugh Haralson was born November 13, 1805, in

Greene County, Georgia Greene County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,915. The county seat is Greensboro. The county was created on February 3, 1786, and is named for Nathanael ...

. He graduated from

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college of the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. Established in 1801 following the American Revolution, the college was named in honor of American Founding Father B ...

(

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

).Smith, p. 299 After graduation, Haralson was admitted to the bar by way of a special act of the

Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

, because he was under the age of twenty-one.

Political and military careers

Haralson first served in the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...

, at age 26, from 1831 to 1832. He was next elected to the

Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...

in 1836, and served from 1837 to 1838. He was commissioned as a major general in the Georgia Militia, 9th Division, in 1838. Haralson was originally a member of the Whig Party, but left when that party advocated for a restoration of the Bank of the United States, something that Haralson was opposed to because of his Jeffersonian leanings. Haralson subsequently joined the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

and stood for election to Congress under that banner. Despite the fact that Georgia voted overwhelmingly for the Whig party, in 1840, Haralson was elected as a Democrat two years later. Haralson represented

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

in the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

from 1843 to 1851, where he was chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. He was the father-in-law of the famous Confederate General, and

Georgia governor The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legisl ...

John B. Gordon.

Death and legacy

Hugh A. Haralson died September 25, 1854, in LaGrange, Georgia.

Haralson County, Georgia Haralson County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,919, up from 28,780 2010. The county seat is Buchanan. The county was created on January 26, 1856, and was ...

and the city of

Haralson, Georgia Haralson is a town in Coweta and Meriwether counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 172 at the 2020 census. It is noted for being one of the filming locations for both ''The Walking Dead'' and ''Lawless''. History The first ...

Coweta County Coweta County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of Metro Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the population was 146,158. The county seat is Newnan. Coweta County is included in the Atlanta- ...

, are named in his honor.

References

External links

Hugh Anderson Haralson Letterbook – Atlanta History Center
* * Smith, Gordon Burns, ''History of the Georgia Militia, 1783–1861, Volume One, Campaigns and Generals'', Boyd Publishing, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Haralson, Hugh A. 1805 births 1854 deaths Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives University of Georgia alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) American slave owners 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers