Gabriel Moore (1785 – August 6, 1844) was a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed l ...

, later Jacksonian and National Republican politician and fifth governor of the U.S. state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

(1829–1831).

Life and politics

Moore was born in

Stokes County, North Carolina Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury. Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which ...

, of English descent and some French descent. He moved to

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

, in 1810. Moore served in the territorial legislatures and was elected to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 1821. He was re-elected to the United States Congress in 1827. Moore was the second Representative of the state of Alabama and the first Representative of its First Congressional District. He served one term as representative of the at-large district of Alabama (1821–1823). Moore was one of four candidates in the running. Moore won with 67.57% of the vote. He served as Alabama's 1st district representative (1823–1829). In the 1823 election, he was the only candidate and won all 3,304 votes. In the 1825 election, he was one of two candidates, the other being Clement Comer Clay. Moore won with 71.12% of the vote. He was elected Governor of Alabama unopposed in

1829 Events January–March * January 19 – August Klingemann's adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust'' premieres in Braunschweig. * February 27 – Battle of Tarqui: Troops of Gran Colombia and Peru battle to a draw. * Marc ...

, standing as a Jacksonian. In 1831, two years into his four-year governorship, Moore resigned to seek a Class 3 spot in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. In response to his resignation, Moore was replaced as Governor by Alabama Senate President Samuel B. Moore (no relation). Moore's Senate bid was successful, and he served for six years as Class 3 Senator alongside William R. King before losing out to John McKinley in 1837, who had preceded Moore in 1831. During his tenure in the Senate, Moore also served as chairman of the House Committee on Revolutionary Claims. In 1834, he was one of only two Anti-Jacksonian senators to vote against the censure of President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. Following his loss to McKinley, Moore moved near

Caddo Lake Caddo Lake () is a lake and bayou (wetland) on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Caddoans or Caddo, ...

, Texas, in 1843. He died there on August 6, 1844, and was buried on the plantation of Peter Swanson.

References

Sources

A New Nation Votes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Gabriel 1785 births 1844 deaths People from Stokes County, North Carolina American people of English descent Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama Jacksonian United States senators from Alabama National Republican Party United States senators from Alabama Democratic Party governors of Alabama Jacksonian state governors of the United States Members of the Alabama Territorial Legislature Democratic Party Alabama state senators 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature