Alexander Porter
Encyclopedia
Alexander Porter was a United States Senator from Louisiana
. Born in County Donegal
, Ireland
, he immigrated to the United States in 1801 with an uncle, who settled in Nashville, Tennessee
. He received a limited schooling, attended the now-defunct Clemenceau College, studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1807, and commenced practice in the Attakapas region of the Territory of Orleans. He was a delegate to the convention which framed the first Louisiana Constitution
in 1812 and was a member of the lower branch
of the Louisiana Legislature from 1816 to 1818.
Porter was a judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court
from 1821 to 1833. He was elected as a Whig
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Josiah S. Johnston
, and served from December 19, 1833, until January 5, 1837, when he resigned due to ill health. He continued the practice of law in Attakapas and was a planter. Porter was again elected to the U.S. Senate for the term beginning March 4, 1843, but did not take his seat due to ill health and Henry Johnson
took it instead. He died in Attakapas in 1844, and interment was on Oakland plantation in Franklin, Louisiana
.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Born in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, he immigrated to the United States in 1801 with an uncle, who settled in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He received a limited schooling, attended the now-defunct Clemenceau College, studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1807, and commenced practice in the Attakapas region of the Territory of Orleans. He was a delegate to the convention which framed the first Louisiana Constitution
Louisiana Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Louisiana is the cornerstone of Louisiana state law ensuring the rights of individuals, describing the distribution and power of state officials and local government, establishes the state and city civil service systems, creates and defines the operation of a state...
in 1812 and was a member of the lower branch
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
of the Louisiana Legislature from 1816 to 1818.
Porter was a judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
from 1821 to 1833. He was elected as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Josiah S. Johnston
Josiah S. Johnston
Josiah Stoddard Johnston was a United States Representative and Senator from Louisiana. Born in Salisbury, Connecticut, he moved with his father to Kentucky in 1788, and went to Connecticut to attend primary school...
, and served from December 19, 1833, until January 5, 1837, when he resigned due to ill health. He continued the practice of law in Attakapas and was a planter. Porter was again elected to the U.S. Senate for the term beginning March 4, 1843, but did not take his seat due to ill health and Henry Johnson
Henry Johnson (Louisiana)
Henry Johnson was the fifth Governor of Louisiana, and served as a United States Representative and as a United States Senator....
took it instead. He died in Attakapas in 1844, and interment was on Oakland plantation in Franklin, Louisiana
Franklin, Louisiana
Franklin is a city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
External links
- Alexander Porter at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...