James Clark (Kentucky), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

James Clark (Kentucky)

American politician

Date of Birth: 16-Jan-1779

Place of Birth: Bedford County, Virginia, United States

Date of Death: 27-Sep-1839

Profession: judge, lawyer, politician

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn


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About James Clark (Kentucky)

  • James Clark (January 16, 1779 – August 27, 1839) was a 19th-century American politician who served in all three branches of Kentucky's government and in the U.S.
  • House of Representatives.
  • His political career began in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1807.
  • In 1810, he was appointed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, where he served for two years before resigning to pursue a seat in the U.S.
  • House of Representatives.
  • He served two terms in that body, resigning in 1816. Clark accepted an appointment to the circuit court of Bourbon and Clark counties in 1817.
  • It was in this capacity that the most defining event of his career occurred.
  • In 1822, he struck down a debt relief law in the case of Williams v.
  • Blair on the basis that it impeded the obligation of contracts.
  • His decision was unpopular with the legislature, who condemned the ruling and summoned Clark to appear before them and defend it.
  • An attempt by the legislature to remove him from office fell short of the needed two-thirds majority.
  • The following year, the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld Clark's ruling.
  • In retaliation, the legislature attempted to abolish the court and create a new one more sympathetic to their views.
  • This event and its aftermath became known as the Old Court-New Court controversy. In 1825, Clark was chosen to fill the congressional seat vacated by Henry Clay's elevation to Secretary of State.
  • He served until 1831, but did not seek re-election that year.
  • He became active in organizing the Whig Party in Kentucky and was rewarded for his efforts by being chosen as the party's nominee for governor in 1836.
  • He won the election and laid out an ambitious platform to the legislature, which acted on only part of it.
  • Clark's most significant accomplishment as governor was securing the creation of a state board of education and the establishment of public schools in every county in the state.
  • Clark died in office in 1839.
  • His estate, Holly Rood, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Read more at Wikipedia

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