George Rockingham Gilmer (April 11, 1790 – November 16, 1859) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 statesman and politician. He served two non-consecutive terms as the 34th Governor of Georgia, the first from 1829 to 1831 and the second from 1837 to 1839. He also served multiple terms in the United States House of Representatives

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...

.

Early life

Gilmer was born near Lexington, Georgia

Lexington, Georgia

Lexington is a city in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Oglethorpe County...

, in what is present day Oglethorpe County

Oglethorpe County, Georgia

Oglethorpe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the largest county in Northeast Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 12,635. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 13,963...

 (Wilkes County

Wilkes County, Georgia

Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...

 at the time of his birth). He served as first lieutenant in the Forty-third Regiment, United States Infantry, from 1813 to 1815 in the campaign

Creek War

The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...

 against the Creek

Creek people

The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...

 during the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

. He practiced law as a profession.

Political career

Gilmer's career consisted of multiple, alternating, elected positions at both the state and federal levels of government.

Gilmer was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia House of Representatives

The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...

 in 1818, 1819, and 1824.

Gilmer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives four times 1820, 1826, 1828 and 1832; however, he did not serve after the election in 1828 because he failed to accept the position within the legal timeframe to do so. The Governor of Georgia subsequently declared the House seat vacant and ordered a new election to fill the seat.

As governor, Gilmer initiated the prosecution of Cherokee missionary Samuel Austin Worcester for violation of a law requiring that all white persons residing within the Cherokee nation have a license from the governor and to swear an oath of allegiance to uphold the laws of Georgia. Worcester's arrest in 1831 and subsequent trial, for which he was convicted and sentenced to four years' hard labor, ultimately led to the United States Supreme Court decision Worcester v. Georgia

Worcester v. Georgia

Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Indians from being present on Indian lands without a license from the state was unconstitutional.The...

which struck down the Georgia statute imposing Georgia law on the Cherokees as a violation of the Treaty of Hopewell

Treaty of Hopewell

The Treaty of Hopewell is any of three different treaties signed at Hopewell Plantation. The plantation was owned by Andrew Pickens, and was located on the Seneca River in northwestern South Carolina. The treaties were signed between the Confederation Congress of the United States of America and...

.

Also of Note

Additional facts of interest concerning George Gilmer:

• Trustee of the University of Georgia
  University of Georgia
  The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
  
   (1826–1857)
• Gilmer County, Georgia
  Gilmer County, Georgia
  Gilmer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 3, 1832 and was named for George Rockingham Gilmer. As of 2000, the population was 23,456. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,389...
  
   is named after him.
• Georgia Presidential elector in 1836 and 1840
• Authored Sketches of Some of the First Settlers of Upper Georgia

Death and legacy

Gilmer died in 1859 in Lexington and is buried in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in the same city.
Gilmer County, Georgia

Gilmer County, Georgia

Gilmer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 3, 1832 and was named for George Rockingham Gilmer. As of 2000, the population was 23,456. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,389...

is named in his honor.