Ambrose Hundley Sevier (November 4, 1801 – December 31, 1848) was an attorney, politician and planter from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. A member of the political

Conway-Johnson family Conway-Johnson family (also called “The Family” or “The Dynasty”) was a prominent American political family from Arkansas of British origin. It was founded by Henry Wharton Conway of Greene County, Tennessee, who had come to the state of ...

that dominated the state and national delegations in the

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern US ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum architectu ...

years, he was elected by the legislature as a Democratic U.S. Senator. He served as

Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives The Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives is the speaker (presiding officer) of the Arkansas House of Representatives, the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly. They serve as the leader and head of the Arkansas House, and can ...

Early life and education

Ambrose Hundley Sevier was born near

Greeneville, Tennessee Greeneville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of American Revolutionary War, Revol ...

Greene County, Tennessee Greene County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,152. Its county seat is Greeneville. Greene County comprises the Greeneville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Ar ...

. Sevier moved to

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

in 1820 and to

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

in 1821. In Arkansas he became clerk of the Territorial

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

. He studied law and was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

in 1823.

Marriage and family

Sevier married Juliette Johnson, the sister of

Robert Ward Johnson Robert Ward Johnson (July 22, 1814 – July 26, 1879) was an American planter and lawyer who served as the senior Confederate States senator for Arkansas, a seat that he was elected to in 1861. He previously served as a delegate from Arkansas ...

, who also became an influential politician in the state. Their father Benjamin Johnson had gone to Arkansas as the first territorial judge; in 1836 he was appointed as the first federal district judge when the territory became a state. Ambrose and Juliette had several children.

Political career

Sevier was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives and served from 1823 to 1827; he was elected as

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

of that body in 1827. He was elected as a Jacksonian Delegate to the 20th US Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Henry Wharton Conway Henry Wharton Conway (March 18, 1793 – November 9, 1827) was a United States naval officer during the War of 1812 and a politician in Arkansas Territory, who was elected as a territorial delegate (1823–1827) to the United States House of Rep ...

, killed as a result of a duel with a former friend. Sevier was reelected and served as delegate in three successive congresses from 1828 to 1836, when Arkansas was admitted to the Union. Sevier is known as the "Father of Arkansas Statehood". In 1836 Sevier was elected as the first member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

from Arkansas. He was reelected in 1837 and 1843. He resigned from office in 1848. During the 29th Congress, he was allowed to hold the seat of President ''pro tem'' of the Senate for a day, though he was not elected to that post. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs and was a member of the

Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign ai ...

. In 1848 Sevier and

Nathan Clifford Nathan Clifford (August 18, 1803 – July 25, 1881) was an American statesman, diplomat and jurist. Clifford is one of the few people who have held a constitutional office in each of the three branches of the U.S. federal government. He ...

, the Attorney General of the United States, were appointed ambassadors to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

by President

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (; November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of Jacksonian democracy and ...

to negotiate the

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

at the end of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. In December of 1848, he was appointed by Polk to head what would later become the

International Boundary and Water Commission The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC, , CILA) is an international body created by the United States and Mexico in 1889 to apply the rules for determining the location of their international boundary when meandering rivers trans ...

, but died before being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. After completing this project, Ambrose Hundley Sevier died the last day of that year on his

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

Pulaski County, Arkansas Pulaski County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. With a population of 399,125 as of the 2020 United States census, it is the most populous county in Arkansas. The county is included in the Little Rock– North Little Rock–Conway m ...

. He was buried in the historic

Mount Holly Cemetery Mount Holly Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in the Quapaw Quarter area of downtown Little Rock in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and is the burial place for numerous Arkansans of note. It was listed on the National Register of Historic ...

. The State of Arkansas erected a monument in the cemetery in his honor. Sevier was part of the powerful "Family" of Democratic politicians in Arkansas, who included his first cousins: Representative

, Governor

James Sevier Conway James Sevier Conway (December 9, 1796 – March 3, 1855) was an American politician who served as the first governor of Arkansas from 1836 to 1840. Early life James Sevier Conway was born on December 4, 1796, in Greene County, Tennessee, to T ...

, and Governor

Elias Nelson Conway Elias Nelson Conway (May 17, 1812 – February 28, 1892) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fifth governor of Arkansas from 1852 to 1860. Early life Conway was born in Greeneville, Tennessee. Born into a political family, ...

; brother-in-law Senator

, and son-in-law Governor

Thomas James Churchill Thomas James Churchill (March 10, 1824 – May 14, 1905) was an American soldier and politician who served as the List of Governors of Arkansas, 13th governor of Arkansas from 1881 to 1883. Before that, he was a senior Officer (armed force ...

Legacy and honors

*He is known as the "Father of Arkansas Statehood." *

Sevier County, Arkansas Sevier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,839. The county seat is De Queen. Sevier County is Arkansas's 16th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for Ambrose Sevie ...

is named in his honor.

References

External links