John Forsyth | |
---|---|
13th United States Secretary of State | |
In office July 1, 1834 – March 4, 1841 |
|
President |
Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren |
Preceded by | Louis McLane |
Succeeded by | Daniel Webster |
33rd Governor of Georgia | |
In office November 7, 1827 – November 4, 1829 |
|
Preceded by | George M. Troup |
Succeeded by | George R. Gilmer |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's at-large district |
|
In office March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1818 |
|
Preceded by | New appointment |
Succeeded by | Robert R. Reid |
In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1827 |
|
Preceded by | Robert R. Reid |
Succeeded by | converted to districts |
United States Senator from Georgia |
|
In office November 23, 1818 – February 17, 1819 |
|
Preceded by | George Troup |
Succeeded by | Freeman Walker |
In office November 9, 1829 – June 27, 1834 |
|
Preceded by | John M. Berrien |
Succeeded by | Alfred Cuthbert |
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
Personal details | |
Born |
Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S. |
October 22, 1780
Died | October 21, 1841 Washington D.C., U.S. |
(aged 60)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Clara Meigs Forsyth |
Alma mater | College of New Jersey |
Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
John Forsyth, Sr. (October 22, 1780 – October 21, 1841) was a 19th-century American politician from Georgia. He represented Georgia in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Forsyth also served as the 33rd Governor of Georgia. As a strong supporter of the policies of Andrew Jackson, he was appointed Secretary of State by Jackson in 1834, and continued in that role until 1841 during the presidency of Martin Van Buren.
Forsyth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His father Robert Forsyth was the first U.S. Marshal to be killed in the line of duty in 1794. He was an attorney who graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1799. He married Clara Meigs, daughter of Josiah Meigs, in 1801 or 1802. One of his sons, John Forsyth, Jr., later became a newspaper editor.
Forsyth served in the United States House of Representatives (1813–1818 and 1823–1827), the United States Senate (1818–1819 and 1829–1834), and as the 33rd Governor of Georgia (1827–1829). He was the United States Secretary of State from 1834 until 1841. In this role he led the government's response to the Amistad case. He was a loyal follower of Andrew Jackson and opposed John C. Calhoun in the issue of nullification. Forsyth was appointed as Secretary of State in reward for his efforts. He led the pro-removal reply to Theodore Frelinghuysen about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. He supported slavery and was a slaveholder himself.