George Washington Hopkins (February 22, 1804 – March 1, 1861) was a nineteenth-century United States politician,

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

, lawyer, judge and teacher.

Biography

Born in

Goochland County, Virginia Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is inclu ...

near Goochland Court House to the Episcopal minister Charles Hopkins, Hopkins attended the common schools as a child. He later taught school, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834, commencing practice in

Lebanon, Virginia Lebanon is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,424 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Russell County, Virginia, Russell County. History The town of Lebanon was founded in 1818 as per an effort to ...

. He was a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

from 1833 to 1835 and was elected a Jacksonian

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

to the

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

in 1834, serving from 1835 to 1847. There, Hopkins served as chairman of the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads from 1843 to 1847. President

James Knox 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 History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

appointed Hopkins as Chargé d'affaires to Portugal in 1847; he served as until 1849. He returned to the House of Delegates 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 ...

succeeding his brother Henry L. Hopkins from 1850 to 1852 and was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1850 and 1851. He served as judge of the

circuit court Circuit courts are court systems in several common law jurisdictions. It may refer to: * Courts that literally sit 'on circuit', i.e., judges move around a region or country to different towns or cities where they will hear cases; * Courts that s ...

of Washington, D.C. and other counties and was elected back to the House of Representatives in 1856, serving again from 1857 to 1859. There, he served as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1857 to 1859. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1858 and resumed practicing law in

Abingdon, Virginia Abingdon is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts a ...

. Hopkins served in the House of Delegates for a third time from 1859 until his death in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

on March 1, 1861. He was interred in Sinking Spring Cemetery in Abingdon.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, George Washington 1804 births 1861 deaths Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia lawyers Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal Politicians from Abingdon, Virginia People from Goochland County, Virginia Conservative Party of Virginia members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century American diplomats Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Virginia circuit court judges 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly