Robert Crittenden was 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...

 and co-founder of Rose Law Firm

Rose Law Firm

Rose Law Firm is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the oldest law firm in the United States west of the Mississippi River and the third oldest in the United States....

. Robert Crittenden was born near Versailles, Kentucky

Versailles, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...

.

Crittenden served as Secretary of Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1829. He served as Governor of Arkansas while James Miller

James Miller (general)

James Miller was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire, the first Governor of Arkansas Territory, and a Brigadier General in the United States Army during the War of 1812....

 was delayed for an extended period en route to Arkansas. Crittenden called the first legislature into session and took responsibility for organizing the new territory. Crittenden was never officially appointed Governor of the territory but amassed considerable political power. Crittenden was a primary leader in preparing the territory for statehood.

Crittenden served as United States Commissioner for the 1824 Treaty with the Quapaw

Quapaw

The Quapaw people are a tribe of Native Americans who historically resided on the west side of the Mississippi River in what is now the state of Arkansas.They are federally recognized as the Quapaw Tribe of Indians.-Government:...

 Indians.

Robert Crittenden was the son of John Crittenden

John Crittenden, Sr.

John Jordan Crittenden was a Major in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1790 to 1805...

 who was a Major in the Continental Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 and a member of the Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 House of Burgesses

House of Burgesses

The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...

, the brother of United States Senator

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...

 John Jordan Crittenden, and granduncle of Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr.

Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr.

Thomas Theodore Crittenden, Jr. was the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1908-1909.Crittenden was born near Springfield, Illinois. His father was Missouri Governor Thomas Theodore Crittenden...

 who was Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

.

Crittenden mortally wounded Representative Henry Wharton Conway

Henry Wharton Conway

Henry Wharton Conway was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Arkansas Territory....

 in a duel near Napoleon, Arkansas

Napoleon, Arkansas

Napoleon is a ghost town in Desha County, Arkansas, United States, near the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. Once the county seat of Desha County, Napoleon was flooded when the banks of the Mississippi River burst through and destroyed the once-thriving river port town.The town...

 on October 29, 1827. He died in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...

.

Crittenden County, Arkansas is named for Robert Crittenden.