James Clark (Kentucky)

Infobox Governor
name = James Clark


order = 13^th
office = Governor of Kentucky
term_start = August 31, 1836
term_end = August 27, 1839
lieutenant = Charles A. Wickliffe
predecessor = James Morehead
successor = Charles A. Wickliffe
birth_date = birth date|1779|1|16|mf=y
birth_place = Bedford County, Virginia
death_date = death date and age|1839|9|27|1779|1|16|mf=y
death_place = Frankfort, Kentucky
party = Whig
spouse = Susan Forsythe
Margaret Buckner Thornton
profession = Lawyer
religion = Protestant
order2 = United States Representative
term_start2 = 1813
term_end2 = 1816
1825–1831
predecessor2=
successor2 =
order3 =
term_start3 =
term_end3 =
predecessor3=
successor3 =

James Clark (January 16, 1779 – August 27, 1839) was the thirteenth governor of Kentucky.

Personal life

Clark was born in Bedford County, Virginia, the son of Robert and Susannah Clark. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Clark County, Kentucky. Clark went to Virginia, where he studied law with his brother and was admitted to the bar. He was married twice; first to Susan Forsythe and then Margaret Buckner Thornton. He had four children. Clark is buried in a private cemetery in Winchester, Kentucky.

Political career

Clark was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1807 and 1808. He was on the Court of Appeals of Kentucky from 1810-1812. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1812 and again in 1814. He was then made a judge on the state circuit court. Clark was nearly removed from office after rendering an unpopular decision in the case of Williams v. Blair, but the measure impeaching him failed (the decision was subsequently upheld by the state supreme court). Clark returned to the United States House from 1825 – 1831, and was elected to the state Senate in 1832 (he was elected Speaker in 1835).

Clark won the governorship as a Whig in 1836, defeating Democrat Matthew Flournoy 38,587 to 30,491 (55.8% - 44.2%). He died in office.

His administration oversaw the creation of the State Board of Education, established a public school system in every county of the state, and enacted harsher fugitive slave laws.

References

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19299462 Find-A-Grave profile for James Clark]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/clark/clark.j.txt Biography from Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky]

ee also

*History of Kentucky