Francis Burt (January 13, 1807 – October 18, 1854) was an American politician from

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

who served as the first Governor of

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...

Background

Burt was born on January 13, 1807, to Francis and Katherine (Miles) Burt in Pendleton, South Carolina. The fifth of ten children, he attended Pendleton Academy but did not graduate. After completing his formal education, Burt

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

under Warren R. Davis before establishing his own

legal practice Legal practice is sometimes used to distinguish the body of judicial or administrative precedents, rules, policies, customs, and doctrines from legislative enactments such as statutes and constitutions which might be called "laws" in the strict ...

. In 1831, he married Georgianna Hall of Charleston.McMullin & Walker, p. 223 The marriage produced three boys and five girls: Frank, Armistead, George Ann, Harriett Giraud, Joanna Lois, Mary Eliza, Katherine, and George Abbott.Morton p. 160 Burt entered politics as a member of South Carolina's Nullification Convention, being one of the 136 delegates voting in support of the

Ordinance of Nullification The Ordinance of Nullification declared the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void within the borders of the U.S. state of South Carolina, beginning on February 1, 1833. It began the Nullification Crisis. Passed by a state convention on Novem ...

.Morton p. 161 In addition to the convention, 1832 saw Burt elected to the

South Carolina General Assembly The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and ...

. He remained in the state legislature until 1844 when he was elected State Treasurer. Burt left office after a single term and served as editor of the ''Pendleton Messenger'' from 1847 till 1851. In 1852 he was a member of the South Carolina Constitutional Convention.

Nebraska

Due to his active participation in the Democratic Party, President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

appointed Burt Third Auditor of the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...

in 1853. The next year Pierce needed to select a governor for the newly created

. After

William Orlando Butler William Orlando Butler (April 19, 1791 – August 6, 1880) was an American politician and U.S. Army major general from Kentucky. He served as a Democratic representative from Kentucky from 1839 to 1843, and was the Democratic vice-presidentia ...

declined the position, the President selected Burt. The new governor was commissioned on August 2, 1854, and left his home in Pendleton for Nebraska on September 11.Morton p. 162 Burt's son Armistead and several of his neighbors accompanied him of the four-week trip to the new territory. The new governor had suffered from digestive problems for several years and experienced an intensification of symptoms while en route. His medical condition was such that he spent several days in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

under care of a physician.Morton p. 163 Upon his October 7 arrival in

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

, Burt had experienced a relapse and was immediately confined to a sick bed in the local

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

to the Oto and

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. Judge Fenner Ferguson administered the oath of office to Burt on October 16, 1854. Two days later, on October 18, 1854, the governor died. Following the death of Governor Burt, Territorial Secretary Thomas B. Cuming became acting governor until the arrival of Governor Mark W. Izard. Burt's body was returned to Pendleton, South Carolina for burial.Morton p. 162 In January 1855, the

Nebraska Territorial Legislature The Nebraska Territorial Legislature was held from January 16, 1855, until February 18, 1867, in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory. Major issues Slavery In 1854 the Kansas–Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory, overturning the Miss ...

named Burt County, Nebraska in honor of the deceased governor.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burt, Francis 1807 births 1854 deaths Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Governors of Nebraska Territory Nebraska Democrats American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly