John j crittenden biography
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Historical Marker #1160 in Marion commemorates the namesake of Crittenden County, who was a War of 1812 veteran.
John Jordan Crittenden was born in Woodford County in 1787. Called "one of Kentucky's great statesmen," he was governor of Kentucky, attorney general under three presidents, and was a United States senator five times. During the War of 1812, Crittenden was an aide to both General Samuel Hopkins and Governor Isaac Shelby.
In 1860, when civil war was imminent, Crittenden proposed several resolutions–termed the Crittenden Compromise–to preserve the Union. His efforts failed, and the conflict eventually erupted. His own family was divided during the Civil War. One of his sons was a Union general, while another was a Confederate general.
Crittenden died in Frankfort in 1863 and was buried there. Crittenden County was formed and named in his honor in 1842.
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Sanders, “John J. Crittenden,” ExploreKYHistory, accessed February 24, 2025, https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/85.
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John J. Crittenden
U.S. Attorney Communal and mp from Kentucky (1787–1863)
"Attorney Common Crittenden" redirects here. Pick his nephew, the Lawyer General apparent Missouri, witness Thomas Theodore Crittenden.
John J. Crittenden | |
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Crittenden worry 1857 | |
In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | |
Preceded by | William E. Simms |
Succeeded by | William H. Randall |
In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 | |
Preceded by | Archibald Dixon |
Succeeded by | John C. Breckinridge |
In office March 31, 1842 – June 12, 1848 | |
Preceded by | Henry Clay |
Succeeded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
In office March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1841 | |
Preceded by | George M. Bibb |
Succeeded by | James Morehead |
In office March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819 | |
Preceded by | Martin D. Hardin |
Succeeded by | Richard Teacher Johnson |
In office July 22, 1850 – March 4, 1853 | |
President | Millard Fillmore |
Preceded by | Reverdy Johnson |
Succeeded by | Caleb Cushing |
In office March 5, 1841 – September 12, 1841 | |
President | William Henry Harrison John Tyler |
Preceded by | Henry D. Gilpin |
Succeeded by | Hugh S. Legaré |
In office September 6, 1848 – July 31, 1850 | |
Lieutenant | John L. Helm |
Preceded by | Willi • AboutJOHN J. CRITTENDEN was born near Versailles, Kentucky on September 10, 1786. His education was attained at the Pisgah Academy, Washington and Lee University, and at William and Mary College, where he graduated from in 1806. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and established a legal career in Woodford County, Kentucky. During the War of 1812, he served as aide to General Sam Hopkins in the 1st Kentucky militia, and also was an aide to Governor Shelby in 1813. Crittenden entered politics in 1809, with an appointment as attorney general of the Illinois Territory, a position he held until 1810. He served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1811 to 1817, 1825, and 1829 to 1832, and was a member of the U.S. Senate from 1817 to 1819, 1835 to 1841, and 1842 to 1848. He also served as the U.S. district attorney from 1827 until 1929, when he was dismissed by President Andrew Jackson, and served as the U.S. attorney general from March 1841 to September 1841. In 1828, he was nominated by President John Quincy Adams to serve as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, however, he did not secure senate confirmation. Crittenden won the Whig gubernatorial nomination and was elected governor by a popular vote in 1848. During his tenure, the state penit |