Robert Fulwood Ligon (December 16, 1823 – October 11, 1901) was the fourth Lieutenant Governor 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 ...

. A

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 ...

, Ligon served Governor George S. Houston of the same political party from 1874 to 1876. Ligon also served in the United States House of Representatives. The son of Robert and Wilhelmina (Fulwood) Ligon, Robert Ligon was born in

Watkinsville, Georgia Watkinsville is the largest city and county seat of Oconee County, Georgia, Oconee County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 2,896. It served as the seat of Clarke County, Georg ...

. Ligon began his education in the local schools of Watkinsville and later attended the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

. After graduating, Ligon moved to

Tuskegee, Alabama Tuskegee ( ) is a city in Macon County, Alabama, Macon County, Alabama, United States. General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson, laid out the city and founded it in 1833. It became the county seat in the same y ...

to study law under Judge David Clopton before being admitted to the Alabama

bar association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence.

. Before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Ligon served Alabama as a state representative, and he was a state senator in 1864. In 1874, Ligon was elected as Lieutenant Governor. Although Ligon served his full two-year term as Lieutenant Governor, the position was eliminated in 1875 and would not be reestablished until adoption of the

Alabama Constitution The Constitution of the State of Alabama is the state constitution of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was adopted on November 28, 2022, as a recodification of the Alabama Constitution of 1901 which had been in effect since November 28, 1901, with ...

in 1901. Upon completion of his term, Ligon was elected to and served in 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, ...

from 1877 to 1879. He died at age 77 in Montgomery, Alabama, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.

References

Alabama Department of Archives biography
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External links

- Ligon's former home 1823 births 1901 deaths University of Georgia alumni Democratic Party Alabama state senators Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives People from Oconee County, Georgia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama People from Tuskegee, Alabama 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature {{alabama-politician-stub