George Robertson (congressman)
Encyclopedia
George Robertson was a U.S. Representative
from Kentucky
.
, Robertson pursued preparatory studies and attended Transylvania University
, Lexington, Kentucky
, until 1806. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1809, and commenced practice in Lancaster, Kentucky
.
, Sixteenth
, and Seventeenth Congresses
and served from March 4, 1817, until his resignation in 1821, before the convening of the Seventeenth Congress. He served as chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims (Fifteenth Congress). He served as member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
1822-1827, serving four years as speaker. He declined the appointment as Governor of Arkansas Territory
tendered by President James Monroe
and the diplomatic posts of United States Minister to Colombia
in 1824 and to Peru
in 1828. He served as Secretary of State of Kentucky
in 1828. He was appointed associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
in 1829 and served as chief justice from 1829 to 1834, when he resigned. He resumed the practice of law in Lexington, Kentucky
, and became professor of law in Transylvania University
1834-1857.
Robertson was elected as a Whig
a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1848, 1851, and 1852, and served as speaker in the two last-named years. He served as justice of the Court of Appeals for the Second District of Kentucky 1864-1871 and acting chief justice part of the time. He died in Lexington, Kentucky
, May 16, 1874, and was interred at Lexington Cemetery.
Robertson's daughter, Charlotte, was the second wife of Kentucky Governor
Robert P. Letcher
.
Robertson County, Kentucky
is named for George Robertson.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
Early life
Born near Harrodsburg, KentuckyHarrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.-History:...
, Robertson pursued preparatory studies and attended Transylvania University
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
, Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, until 1806. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1809, and commenced practice in Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster is a city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,734. It is the county seat of Garrard County. Located south of Lexington, it is the site of the Kennedy House, said to have been used in Uncle Tom's Cabin. The controversial...
.
Legal and political career
Robertson was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Fifteenth15th United States Congress
-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Daniel D. Tompkins * President pro tempore:** John Gaillard , elected March 4, 1817** James Barbour , elected February 15, 1819- House of Representatives :*Speaker: Henry Clay -Members:...
, Sixteenth
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
, and Seventeenth Congresses
17th United States Congress
The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...
and served from March 4, 1817, until his resignation in 1821, before the convening of the Seventeenth Congress. He served as chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims (Fifteenth Congress). He served as member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
1822-1827, serving four years as speaker. He declined the appointment as Governor of Arkansas Territory
Arkansas Territory
The Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819 until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...
tendered by President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
and the diplomatic posts of United States Minister to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in 1824 and to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in 1828. He served as Secretary of State of Kentucky
Secretary of State of Kentucky
The Secretary of State of Kentucky is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is now an elected office, but was an appointed office prior to 1891. The current Secretary of State is Democrat Elaine Walker, who was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to fulfill the...
in 1828. He was appointed associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
Kentucky Court of Appeals
The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky....
in 1829 and served as chief justice from 1829 to 1834, when he resigned. He resumed the practice of law in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, and became professor of law in Transylvania University
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
1834-1857.
Robertson 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...
a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1848, 1851, and 1852, and served as speaker in the two last-named years. He served as justice of the Court of Appeals for the Second District of Kentucky 1864-1871 and acting chief justice part of the time. He died in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, May 16, 1874, and was interred at Lexington Cemetery.
Robertson's daughter, Charlotte, was the second wife of Kentucky Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Robert P. Letcher
Robert P. Letcher
Robert Perkins Letcher was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly where he was Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838. A strong supporter of the...
.
Robertson County, Kentucky
Robertson County, Kentucky
Robertson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 2,282. Its county seat is Mount Olivet, Kentucky. The county is named for George Robertson, a Kentucky Congressman from 1817 to 1821. Robertson is a prohibition or dry county...
is named for George Robertson.