Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson
| Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson | |
|---|---|
Nelson, photographed by Mathew Brady
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st district |
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In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 Prisoner of War during 37th U.S. Congress |
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| Preceded by | Albert Galiton Watkins |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel Green Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 19, 1812 Roane County, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | August 24, 1873 (aged 61) Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Resting place |
Old Gray Cemetery Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Political party |
Whig Party Opposition Party Unionist Party Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Stuart Mary Jones |
| Children | 11 |
| Alma mater | East Tennessee College |
| Profession | Attorney, Politician, Judge |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson (March 19, 1812 – August 24, 1873) was an American attorney, politician, and judge, active primarily in East Tennessee during the mid-19th century. He represented Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 36th U.S. Congress (1859–1861), where he gained a reputation as a staunch pro-Union southerner. He was elected to a second term in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War, but was arrested by Confederate authorities before he could take his seat.
As early as the 1830s, Nelson had gained a reputation as an effective Whig Party campaigner, but due to family considerations, he did not run for office until 1859. In December of that year, Nelson gained international renown for an explosive anti-secession speech he delivered before Congress. As president of the East Tennessee Convention, Nelson campaigned to keep Tennessee in the Union, but maintained a neutral position after his arrest.
After the war, Nelson opposed the radical initiatives of his long-time friend, Governor William G. Brownlow, and used his position on the state supreme court to overturn many of Brownlow's policies. Nelson served on the defense team of President Andrew Johnson during Johnson's impeachment trial in 1868, and was elected to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1870.
Nelson was born on Eskridge Farm in rural Roane County, Tennessee, the second son of farmer and land agent David Nelson and his wife, Phoebe White Nelson. In 1826, at the age of just 14, he delivered a speech in defense of Native American rights before the First Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. He graduated from East Tennessee College (now the University of Tennessee) in 1828, and studied law in Knoxville under Thomas L. Williams. After his admission to the bar in 1832, he moved to Elizabethton to practice law.
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