John Forsyth (Georgia)

John Forsyth
13th United States Secretary of State
In office July 1, 1834 – March 3, 1841
President	Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren
Preceded by	Louis McLane
Succeeded by	Daniel Webster
33rd Governor of Georgia
In office November 7, 1827 – November 4, 1829
Preceded by	George M. Troup
Succeeded by	George R. Gilmer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's at-large district
In office March 4, 1813 – November 23, 1818
Preceded by	New appointment
Succeeded by	Robert R. Reid
In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1827
Preceded by	Robert R. Reid
Succeeded by	converted to districts
United States Senator from Georgia
In office November 23, 1818 – February 17, 1819
Preceded by	George Troup
Succeeded by	Freeman Walker
In office November 9, 1829 – June 27, 1834
Preceded by	John M. Berrien
Succeeded by	Alfred Cuthbert
Personal details
Born	(1780-10-22)October 22, 1780 Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 21, 1841(1841-10-21) (aged 60) Washington D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Clara Meigs Forsyth
Alma mater	College of New Jersey
Profession	Politician, Lawyer

John Forsyth, Sr. (October 22, 1780 – October 21, 1841) was a 19th-century American politician from Georgia.

Biography

Forsyth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His father Robert Forsyth was the first U.S. Marshal to be killed in the line of duty in 1794. He was an attorney who graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1799. He married Clara Meigs, daughter of Josiah Meigs, in 1801 or 1802. One of his sons, John Forsyth, Jr., later became a newspaper editor. He served in the United States House of Representatives (1813–1818 and 1823–1827), the United States Senate (1818–1819 and 1829–1834), and as the 33rd Governor of Georgia (1827–1829). He was the United States Secretary of State from 1834 until 1841. In this role he led the government's response to the Amistad case. He was a loyal follower of Andrew Jackson and opposed John C. Calhoun in the issue of nullification. Forsyth was appointed as Secretary of State in reward for his efforts. Led the pro-removal reply to Theodore Frelinghuysen about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. He supported slavery and was a slaveholder himself. He died in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Congressional Cemetery. Forsyth County, Georgia is named for him.^[1] He died the day before his 61st birthday.

In popular culture

• In the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie, Amistad, John Forsyth's character was played by American character actor David Paymer.

Notes

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

• John Forsyth at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• John Forsyth at Find a Grave
• Biography at Players in the Amistad Affair

United States Senators from Georgia Class 2 Few Jackson Walton Tattnall Baldwin Jones Crawford Bulloch Bibb Troup Forsyth Walker Ware Cobb Prince Troup King Lumpkin Berrien Charlton Toombs H. Miller Norwood B. Hill Barrow A. Colquitt Walsh Bacon West Hardwick Harris Cohen Russell Gambrell Nunn Cleland Chambliss Perdue Class 3 Gunn Jackson Milledge Tait Elliott Berrien Forsyth Cuthbert W. Colquitt Johnson Dawson Iverson J. Hill Gordon Brown Gordon Clay Terrell Smith Watson Felton George Talmadge Mattingly Fowler Coverdell Z. Miller Isakson

Governors of Georgia Council Presidents (1775–76) Ewen Walton Ewen Presidents (1776–77) Bulloch Gwinnett Governors (since 1777) Treutlen Houstoun Glascock Cuthbert Wereat Walton Howly Wells Heard Davies Brownson Martin Hall Houstoun Elbert Telfair Mathews Handley Walton Telfair Mathews Irwin Jackson Emanuel Tattnall Milledge Irwin Mitchell Early Mitchell Rabun Talbot Clark Troup Forsyth Gilmer Lumpkin Schley Gilmer McDonald Crawford Towns Cobb H. Johnson J. E. Brown J. Johnson Jenkins Ruger Bullock Conley J. Smith Colquitt Stephens Boynton McDaniel Gordon Northen Atkinson Candler Terrell H. Smith J. M. Brown H. Smith Slaton J.M. Brown Slaton N. Harris Dorsey Hardwick Walker Hardman Russell E. Talmadge Rivers E. Talmadge Arnall Thompson H. Talmadge Griffin Vandiver Sanders Maddox Carter Busbee J. F. Harris Miller Barnes Perdue Deal

United States Secretaries of State Secretary of Foreign Affairs 1781–89 R. Livingston Jay Secretary of State 1789–present Jefferson Randolph Pickering J. Marshall Madison Smith Monroe Adams Clay Van Buren E. Livingston McLane Forsyth Webster Upshur Calhoun Buchanan Clayton Webster Everett Marcy Cass Black Seward Washburne Fish Evarts Blaine Frelinghuysen Bayard Blaine Foster Gresham Olney Sherman Day Hay Root Bacon Knox Bryan Lansing Colby Hughes Kellogg Stimson Hull Stettinius Byrnes G. Marshall Acheson Dulles Herter Rusk Rogers Kissinger Vance Muskie Haig Shultz Baker Eagleburger Christopher Albright Powell Rice (tenure) Clinton (tenure) Kerry (tenure)

Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Barbour Macon Brown Barbour R. King Barbour Macon Sanford Macon Tazewell Forsyth Wilkins Clay Buchanan Rives Archer Allen Sevier Hannegan Benton W. King Foote Mason Sumner Cameron Hamlin Eaton Burnside Edmunds Windom Miller Sherman Morgan Sherman Frye Davis Cullom Bacon Stone Hitchcock Lodge Borah Pittman George Connally Vandenberg Connally Wiley George Green Fulbright Sparkman Church Percy Lugar Pell Helms Biden Helms Biden Lugar Biden Kerry Menendez Corker

Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Commerce and Manufactures (1816–1825) Hunter Sanford Dickerson Commerce (1825–1947) Lloyd Johnston Woodbury Forsyth King Silsbee Goldsborough Davis King Huntington Haywood Dix Hamlin Dodge Clay Chandler Conkling Gordon Ransom McMillan Frye Ransom Frye Nelson Clarke Fletcher Jones H. Johnson Stephens Copeland Bailey Interstate Commerce (1887–1947) Cullom Butler Cullom Elkins Clapp Newlands Smith Cummins Smith Watson Couzens Dill Wheeler Interstate and Foreign Commerce/Commerce (1947–1977) White E. Johnson Tobey Bricker Magnuson Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–) Magnuson Cannon Packwood Danforth Hollings Pressler McCain Hollings McCain Hollings McCain Stevens Inouye Rockefeller Thune