John Randolph of Roanoke
| John Randolph of Roanoke | |
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Portrait of Randolph by John Wesley Jarvis (1811)
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| 8th United States Minister to Russia | |
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In office May 26, 1830 – September 19, 1830 |
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| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Henry Middleton |
| Succeeded by | James Buchanan |
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United States Senator from Virginia |
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In office December 26, 1825 – March 4, 1827 |
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| Preceded by | James Barbour |
| Succeeded by | John Tyler |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th district |
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In office March 4, 1833 – May 24, 1833 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas T. Bouldin |
| Succeeded by | Thomas T. Bouldin |
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In office March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829 |
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| Preceded by | George W. Crump |
| Succeeded by | Thomas T. Bouldin |
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In office March 4, 1823 – December 26, 1825 |
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| Preceded by | John Floyd |
| Succeeded by | George W. Crump |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 16th district |
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In office March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1823 |
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| Preceded by | Archibald Austin |
| Succeeded by | James Stephenson |
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In office March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817 |
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| Preceded by | John W. Eppes |
| Succeeded by | Archibald Austin |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 15th district |
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In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1813 |
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| Preceded by | John Dawson |
| Succeeded by | John Kerr |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district |
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In office March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1803 |
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| Preceded by | Abraham B. Venable |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Lewis, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 2, 1773 Cawsons, Virginia |
| Died | May 24, 1833 (aged 59) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Alma mater |
College of New Jersey Columbia College |
| Profession | planter |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Signature |  |
John Randolph (June 2, 1773 – May 24, 1833), known as John Randolph of Roanoke, was a planter, and a Congressman from Virginia, serving in the House of Representatives at various times between 1799 and 1833, the Senate (1825–1827), and also as Minister to Russia (1830). After serving as President Thomas Jefferson's spokesman in the House, he broke with the president in 1805 as a result of what he saw as the dilution of traditional Jeffersonian principles as well as perceived mistreatment during the impeachment of Samuel Chase, in which Randolph served as chief prosecutor. Following this split, Randolph proclaimed himself the leader of the "Old Republicans" or "Tertium Quids", an arch-conservative wing of the Democratic-Republican Party who wanted to restrict the role of the federal government. Specifically, Randolph promoted the Principles of '98, which said that individual states could judge the constitutionality of central government laws and decrees, and could refuse to enforce laws deemed unconstitutional.
A quick thinking orator with a remarkable wit, he was committed to republicanism and advocated a commercial agrarian society throughout his three decades in Congress. Randolph's conservative stance, displayed in his arguments against debt and for the rights of the landed gentry, have been attributed to his ties to his family estate and the elitist values of his native Southside Virginia. His belief in the importance of a landed gentry led him to oppose the abolition of entail and primogeniture, "The old families of Virginia will form connections with low people, and sink into the mass of overseers' sons and daughters". Randolph vehemently opposed the War of 1812 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820; he was active in debates about tariffs, manufacturing, and currency. With mixed feelings about slavery, he was one of the founders of the American Colonization Society in 1816, to send free blacks to a colony in Africa. However, he also believed that slavery was a necessity in Virginia, saying, "The question of slavery, as it is called, is to us a question of life and death ...You will find no instance in history where two distinct races have occupied the soil except in the relation of master and slave." In addition, Randolph remained dependent on hundreds of slaves to work his tobacco plantation. But, he provided for their manumission and resettlement in the free state of Ohio in his will, providing monies for the purchase of land and supplies. They founded Rossville, now part of Piqua, Ohio.
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