Joseph Desha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joseph Desha | |
| Image:Joseph Desha.jpg |
|
|
|
|
| In office 1824 – 1828 |
|
| Preceded by | John Adair |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
|
|
|
| Born | December 9, 1768 Monroe County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 12, 1842 |
| Political party | Democratic Republican |
| Spouse | Margaret Bledsoe |
| Profession | Soldier, Farmer |
Joseph Desha (December 9, 1768 – October 12, 1842) was the ninth governor of Kentucky.
[edit] Biography
Desha was born in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, the son of Robert Desha and Eleanor Desha nee Wheeler. He was married to Margaret Bledsoe, and the couple moved to Mason County, Kentucky. Desha worked as a farmer, and served in the Indian War of 1794 and the War of 1812. He is buried in the Georgetown Cemetery in Georgetown, Kentucky.
[edit] Political career
Desha, a Democratic Republican, was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1797 and 1799-1802. He served in the state Senate from 1802-1807, and the United States House of Representatives from 1807-1819. After coming in third in the 1820 gubernatorial race, Desha won in 1824 on a platform of debtor relief.
Desha received 38,378 votes to 22,499 for his opponent, Anti-Relief candidate Christopher Tompkins (William Russell came in third, with 3,900 votes; the vote tally was 59.5% – 34.5% – 6.0%).
Desha and his pro-relief allies in the Kentucky General Assembly were prevented from moving on their proposals by anti-relief members of the Court of Appeals. Lacking the votes necessary to remove the judges from office, the assembly instead created a new court system and dismissed the “Old Court.”[citation needed] Old Court judges refused to quit, but the clerk of the New Court took the Old Court’s records by force. When Old Court allies regained control of the assembly, they over-rode Desha’s veto and abolished the New Court.
Desha was also instrumental in forcing Horace Holley, the President of Transylvania University, to leave office for being too liberal.
Desha also pardoned his son Isaac, who had been convicted by two juries for the murder of a Mississippian in 1824.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by: John Adair |
Governor of Kentucky 1824–1828 |
Succeeded by: Thomas Metcalfe |
| Governors of Kentucky |  |
|---|---|
| Shelby • Garrard • Greenup • Scott • Shelby • Madison • Slaughter • Adair • Desha • Metcalfe • J. Breathitt • J. Morehead • Clark • Wickliffe • Letcher • Owsley • Crittenden • Helm • Powell • C. Morehead • Magoffin • Robinson • Bramlette • Helm • Stevenson • Leslie • McCreary • Blackburn • Knott • Buckner • Brown • Bradley • Taylor • Goebel • Beckham • Willson • McCreary • Stanley • Black • Morrow • Fields • Sampson • Laffoon • Chandler • Johnson • Willis • Clements • Wetherby • Chandler • Combs • E. Breathitt • Nunn • Ford • Carroll • Brown Jr. • Collins • Wilkinson • Jones • Patton • Fletcher
Kentucky also had two Confederate Governors: George W. Johnson and Richard Hawes. |
