Reuben Chapman (July 15, 1799 – May 17, 1882) was an American lawyer and politician. He served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1835 to 1847, and as the 13th

Governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

from 1847 to 1849.

Early life

Born on July 15, 1799, in Bowling Green, Virginia, he moved to Alabama in 1824, where he established a law practice.

Political career

He represented

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 ...

in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from March 4, 1835, to March 3, 1847, and served as the 13th

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

from 1847 to 1849.

Relationship with French ambassador

While a member of the House of Representatives, he had a very contentious relationship with the French ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt. In 1844 the ambassador had made remarks towards him, and Virginia congressman George W. Hopkins, and Chapman challenged Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt to a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

. However, the French ambassador backed down. That same year the French ambassador also offended Virginia congressman Lewis Steenrod, though it is unknown precisely what words were exchanged. Chapman and Hopkins grew so hostile towards the French ambassador that in 1846, 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 ...

eventually asked the French government to send Monsieur Fourier home and select a new ambassador to the United States.Governor Reuben Chapman by Thomas McAdory Owen · 1921

Death

He died in

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 ...

on May 17, 1882.

References

Sources

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress websiteReuben Chapman 1847-1849
Encyclopedia of Alabama *Governor Reuben Chapman by Thomas McAdory Owen · 1921

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress websiteReuben Chapman 1847-1849
Encyclopedia of Alabama 1799 births 1882 deaths People from Bowling Green, Virginia Democratic Party governors of Alabama Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{Alabama-politician-stub