Archibald Dixon
| Archibald Dixon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
United States Senator from Kentucky |
|
|
In office September 1, 1852 – March 3, 1855 |
|
| Preceded by | David Meriwether |
| Succeeded by | John J. Crittenden |
| 12th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky | |
|
In office September 4, 1844 – September 6, 1848 |
|
| Governor | William Owsley |
| Preceded by | Manlius Valerius Thomson |
| Succeeded by | John L. Helm |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1830–1833 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1802 Caswell County, North Carolina |
| Died | April 23, 1876 (aged 74) Henderson, Kentucky |
| Resting place | Fernwood Cemetery 37°49′23″N 87°35′30″W / 37.8231°N 87.59168°W |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Robertson Cabell Susan Peachy Bullitt |
| Relations | Father-in-law of John Y. Brown and Cuthbert Powell |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
Archibald Dixon (April 2, 1802 – April 23, 1876) was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky. He represented the Whig Party in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, and was elected the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1844, serving under Governor William Owsley. In 1851, the Whigs nominated him for governor, but he lost to Lazarus W. Powell, his former law partner.
Dixon represented Henderson County at the Kentucky constitutional convention of 1849. In this capacity, he ensured that strong protections of slave property were included in the Kentucky Constitution of 1850. Later, the General Assembly chose Dixon to fill the unexpired Senate term of Henry Clay. He served from September 1, 1852, to March 3, 1855, and did not stand for re-election. During his short tenure, Dixon's major accomplishment was convincing Stephen Douglas to include language in the Kansas-Nebraska Act that explicitly repealed the Missouri Compromise's prohibition on slavery north of latitude 36°30'.
Despite his pro-slavery views, Dixon was loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He represented his county and his state in a number of failed conventions that sought to resolve the upcoming conflict before it began. In 1864, he joined Kentucky governor Thomas E. Bramlette in an audience with President Abraham Lincoln protesting the recruitment of former slaves as Union soldiers in Kentucky. Dixon died on April 23, 1876.
Archibald Dixon was born near Red House, Caswell County, North Carolina on April 2, 1802. He was the son of Captain Wynn and Rebecca Hart Dixon. Both Dixon's father and grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, the former enlisting at the age of sixteen. His grandfather, Colonel Henry Dixon, was commended by "Light Horse Harry" Lee for his service at the Battle of Camden. He was later killed at the Battle of Eutaw Springs.
...
Wikipedia