John Clark (sometimes spelled Clarke) (February 28, 1766October 12, 1832) was an American planter, politician, and slaveholder. He was the
31st Governor of the U.S. state of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, from 1819 to 1823. As governor, he prevailed in the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
case ''
Ex parte Madrazzo'', a dispute over whether a claim of ownership of a group of
enslaved people
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
could be enforced against the state. He also advocated for presidential electors to be elected by popular vote as seen in many of his bills, culminating to the
1824 Georgia Popular Vote Referendum.
Early life
Clark was born in 1766 in
. Along with his father,
Elijah Clarke, Clark fought in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
at the
Battle of Kettle Creek
The Battle of Kettle Creek was the first major victory for Patriots in the back country of Georgia during the American Revolutionary War that took place on February 14, 1779. It was fought in Wilkes County about from present-day Washington, ...
and served in the Georgia militia.
He moved to
Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes 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 9,565. The county seat is the city of Washington.
Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and ...
, in the early 1770s. He became a
major general in 1796.
Political career
Clark served as a
presidential elector
In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president in the presidential election. This process is described in ...
in the
1816 presidential election. He 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 (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...
before he was elected to consecutive two-year terms as the
31st Governor, from 1819 to 1823. During his term, he successfully defended
states' rights
In United States, American politics of the United States, political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments of the United States, state governments rather than the federal government of the United States, ...
in a
US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
case, ''
Ex parte Madrazzo'', over a
Spanish citizen who claimed that he owned some of Clark's slaves.
Personal life
Clark resided at
Woodville, a plantation in
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville () is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County, Georgia, Baldwin County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Founded in 1803 along the Oconee River, it served as the List of current and former capital cities in the ...
.
He was married to Nancy Williamson, the daughter of Col. Micahah Williamson (1744-1796) and Sarah Gilliam.
Death and legacy
Clark died of
yellow fever in
St. Andrews (Florida) a.k.a. Old Town, in 1832 in what was then
Washington County (now
Bay County) and was buried in that same city; however, his grave was relocated to
Marietta National Cemetery in Georgia in 1923 by the Georgia State Society
Daughters of the American Revolution
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War.
A non-p ...
.
Clarkesville, Georgia and
Clarke County, Alabama
Clarke County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,087. The county seat is Grove Hill, Alabama, Grove Hill. T ...
are named after him.
References
Sources
"John Clark (1766–1832),"New Georgia Encyclopedia.
*
John Clark House
historical marker
*
External links
Troup-Clarke Political Feud
historical marker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, John
1766 births
1832 deaths
People from Edgecombe County, North Carolina
Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)
Members of the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia (U.S. state) militiamen in the American Revolution
Deaths from yellow fever
People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Revolution
Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic-Republicans
Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States
19th-century American planters
U.S. state legislators who owned slaves
American duellists
People from Wilkes County, Georgia
1816 United States presidential electors