John Floyd (Virginia politician)
John Floyd | |
|---|---|
| 25th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office March 4, 1830 – March 31, 1834 | |
| Preceded by | William Branch Giles |
| Succeeded by | Littleton Waller Tazewell |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1829 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Smith |
| Succeeded by | Robert Craig |
| Constituency | 20th district |
| In office March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1823 | |
| Preceded by | James Breckinridge |
| Succeeded by | John Randolph |
| Constituency | 5th district |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Montgomery County | |
| In office October 10, 1814 – January 19, 1815 Serving with Thomas McHenry | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Goodson |
| Succeeded by | John Ingles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 24, 1783 Floyd's Station, Virginia, U.S. (now Jefferson County, Kentucky) |
| Died | August 17, 1837 (aged 54) near Sweet Springs, Virginia, U.S. (now West Virginia) |
| Party | Democratic-Republican (Before 1828) Nullifier (1828–1829) Democratic (1829–1837) |
| Children | John, George, and 10 others |
| Parent | John Floyd |
| Education | Dickinson College University of Pennsylvania (MD) |
| Signature | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Virginia Militia United States Army |
| Years of service | 1807–1814 |
| Rank | Brigadier-General |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
John Floyd (April 24, 1783 – August 17, 1837) was an American politician and military officer. He represented Virginia in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 25th governor of Virginia.
During his career in the House of Representatives, Floyd advocated for settling the Oregon Country, unsuccessfully arguing on its behalf from 1820 until he left Congress in 1829; the area did not become a territory of the United States until 1848.
During the 1832 presidential election, Floyd was selected by John C. Calhoun to serve as the Nullifier Party's candidate. The state legislature of South Carolina voted to give the state's eleven electoral votes to Floyd. While governor of Virginia, Nat Turner's Rebellion occurred. Although Floyd was an outspoken advocate for state's rights, he supported the gradual abolition of slavery on account of its inefficiency. His term as governor oversaw a period of economic prosperity for the state.