Archibald Bulloch
Encyclopedia
Archibald Bulloch was a lawyer, soldier, and statesman from Georgia
during the American Revolution
.
, the son of James Bulloch and Jean Stobo Bulloch. He began to practice law in South Carolina and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the South Carolina militia. His family moved to Georgia in 1758, and Bulloch moved to Savannah, Georgia
, in 1764. He was elected to the Commons House of Assembly of Georgia in 1768.
es of Georgia, and was a delegate in 1775 to the Continental Congress
. There, he won John Adams
's praise for his "Abilities and Fortitude". In the Continental Congress, he was a member of the Secret Committee, which was responsible for gathering war supplies. Bulloch is also recorded as having been a Freemason
in Georgia. His name is listed on the 1779 Masonic rolls of Solomon's Lodge
No. 1 at Savannah along with George Walton
, John Adam Treutlen
, James Jackson
, Nathaniel Pendelton, and General Samuel Elbert
.
Bulloch would have been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but decided to return to Georgia to aid the revolution there. In 1776, he fought under the command of Colonel Lachlan McIntosh
in the Battle of the Rice Boats
and the Battle of Tybee Island. On June 20, 1776, he was chosen to be the first President and Commander-in-Chief of Georgia under the state's temporary republican government. When he signed the state constitution on February 20, 1777, his position transferred from president to governor of Georgia. He was thus Georgia's first chief executive under a proper constitutional government, but the third chief executive in all, following the brief tenures of presidents William Ewen
and George Walton
.
Bulloch died in Savannah while preparing to defend against the British invasion of Georgia in 1777. There is some speculation that he was poisoned, though this has never been proven. His death was a severe blow, as his was the only leadership that united the Whig
factions in the troubled young state. He is buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery.
later represented Georgia in the United States Senate
. Archibald's great-great-grandson was President Theodore Roosevelt
. His great-great-great granddaughter was First Lady of the United States
Eleanor Roosevelt
. Theodore Roosevelt's son Archibald
was named after Bulloch. Bulloch County, Georgia
was named in his honor.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Early life
Bulloch was born and educated in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, the son of James Bulloch and Jean Stobo Bulloch. He began to practice law in South Carolina and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the South Carolina militia. His family moved to Georgia in 1758, and Bulloch moved to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, in 1764. He was elected to the Commons House of Assembly of Georgia in 1768.
Revolution
Bulloch served as President of the 1st and 2nd Provincial CongressProvincial Congress
"Provincial Congress" can refer to one of several extra-legal legislative bodies established in some of the Thirteen Colonies early in the American Revolution...
es of Georgia, and was a delegate in 1775 to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. There, he won John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
's praise for his "Abilities and Fortitude". In the Continental Congress, he was a member of the Secret Committee, which was responsible for gathering war supplies. Bulloch is also recorded as having been a Freemason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in Georgia. His name is listed on the 1779 Masonic rolls of Solomon's Lodge
Solomon's Lodge
Solomon's Lodge, in Savannah, Georgia is a Masonic Lodge was founded in 1734 by James Oglethorpe and claims to be the oldest continuing operating lodge in America. It wasn't called Solomon's Lodge until 1776, previously being known as "The Lodge at Savannah."...
No. 1 at Savannah along with George Walton
George Walton
George Walton signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second Chief Executive of that state.-Life and work:...
, John Adam Treutlen
John A. Treutlen
John Adam Treutlen arrived in colonial America as an indentured servant and rose to become a wealthy merchant and landowner. He was a leader in Georgia of the American Revolution and helped write Georgia’s first constitution. In 1777, he was elected Georgia’s first governor...
, James Jackson
James Jackson (politician)
James "Left Eye" Jackson was an early Georgia politician of the Democratic-Republican Party. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 until 1791. He was also a U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1793 to 1795, and from 1801 until his death...
, Nathaniel Pendelton, and General Samuel Elbert
Samuel Elbert
Samuel Elbert was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Savannah, Georgia.Elbert fought in the Revolutionary War, commanding the victorious American colonial forces in a naval battle near St. Simons Island, Georgia on April 19, 1778...
.
Bulloch would have been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but decided to return to Georgia to aid the revolution there. In 1776, he fought under the command of Colonel Lachlan McIntosh
Lachlan McIntosh
Lachlan McIntosh was a British-born American military and political leader during the American Revolution and the early United States. In a 1777 duel, he shot dead Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.-Arrival in Georgia:Lachlan McIntosh was born near Raits, Badenoch,...
in the Battle of the Rice Boats
Battle of the Rice Boats
The Battle of the Rice Boats, also called the Battle of Yamacraw Bluff, was a land and naval battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place in and around the Savannah River on the border between the Province of Georgia and the Province of South Carolina on March 2 and 3, 1776...
and the Battle of Tybee Island. On June 20, 1776, he was chosen to be the first President and Commander-in-Chief of Georgia under the state's temporary republican government. When he signed the state constitution on February 20, 1777, his position transferred from president to governor of Georgia. He was thus Georgia's first chief executive under a proper constitutional government, but the third chief executive in all, following the brief tenures of presidents William Ewen
William Ewen
William Ewen was the first president of the Council of Safety of Georgia during the American Revolution...
and George Walton
George Walton
George Walton signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second Chief Executive of that state.-Life and work:...
.
Bulloch died in Savannah while preparing to defend against the British invasion of Georgia in 1777. There is some speculation that he was poisoned, though this has never been proven. His death was a severe blow, as his was the only leadership that united the Whig
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
factions in the troubled young state. He is buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery.
Legacy
His son William Bellinger BullochWilliam Bellinger Bulloch
William Bellinger Bulloch was an American Senator from Georgia and a great-great-uncle of President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt and great-great-great uncle to First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt.-Biography:...
later represented Georgia in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Archibald's great-great-grandson was President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. His great-great-great granddaughter was First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
. Theodore Roosevelt's son Archibald
Archibald Roosevelt
Archibald Bulloch "Archie" Roosevelt , the fifth child of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, was a distinguished U.S. Army officer and commander of U.S. forces in both World War I and II. In both conflicts he was wounded. He earned the Croix de guerre and Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster,...
was named after Bulloch. Bulloch County, Georgia
Bulloch County, Georgia
Bulloch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 8, 1796. Bulloch County has undergone rapid growth in recent years. As of 2000, the population was 55,983. The 2009 Census Estimate showed a population of 69,213. The county seat is Statesboro.In...
was named in his honor.