Robert Crittenden
{{Short description|1st secretary of Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1829}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Robert Crittenden
|image = AR Crittenden Robert.jpg
|office = 1st Secretary of the Arkansas Territory
|governor = James Miller
George Izard
John Pope
|term_start = July 4, 1819
|term_end = April 8, 1829
|predecessor = Position established
|successor = William S. Fulton
|office1 = Governor of Arkansas Territory
|status1 = Acting
|president1 = James Monroe
|term_start1 = July 4, 1819
|term_end1 = December 26, 1819
|predecessor1 = Position established
|successor1 = James Miller
|birth_date = {{birth date|1797|1|1}}
|birth_place = Woodford County, Kentucky, U.S.
|death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|1834|12|18|1797|1|1}}}}
|death_place = Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
|party = Democratic-Republican
|spouse = {{marriage|Ann Morris|October 1, 1822}}
|children = 4
|relatives = John Crittenden (father)
|allegiance = {{flag|United States|1818}}
|branch = United States Army
|serviceyears = 1814–1815
1817–1818
|rank = Captain
|commands = Crittenden's Company of Kentucky Life Guards
|battles = War of 1812
First Seminole War
}}
Robert Crittenden (January 1, 1797 – December 18, 1834) was an American lawyer who served as the first secretary of the Arkansas Territory from 1819 to 1829. He also served as the acting governor of Arkansas Territory from July to December 1819. Crittenden co-founded the Rose Law Firm.
Early life, education, and military service
Robert Crittenden was born in Woodford County, Kentucky, the son of John and Judith (née Harris) Crittenden. His father was a Kentucky pioneer from Virginia, who had been a major in the Continental Army. Crittenden had a brother, John, who later served as a U.S. senator. His great-nephew was politician Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr. Robert Crittenden was educated privately and read the law as a legal apprentice to prepare for passing the bar.
Secretary of the Arkansas Territory
President James Monroe appointed Crittenden secretary of the Arkansas Territory in 1819. Crittenden served in this role through 1829. From July to December 1819, he served as acting governor while James Miller was delayed for an extended period en route to Arkansas Territory. Crittenden called the first territorial legislature into session and took responsibility for organizing the new territory. He amassed considerable political power. Crittenden was a primary leader in preparing the territory for statehood. He was appointed as United States Commissioner for negotiating the 1824 Treaty with the Quapaw Indians.
Conway–Crittenden duel
By 1827, he and his former friend, Henry Conway, a territorial representative, had come into conflict on political issues and finally had a duel. He mortally wounded Conway near Napoleon, Arkansas, on October 29, 1827, who died several days later. Crittenden lived at the end of his life in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Legacy
Crittenden County, Arkansas,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA96 |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Govt. Print. Off. |author=Gannett, Henry |year=1905 |pages=96}} and the Robert Crittenden Chapter (established January 15, 1951) of the Daughters of the American Revolution in West Memphis, Arkansas, are named after him.{{cite web |url=http://arkansas-dar.org/robertcrittenden.htm/ |title=The Robert Crittenden Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution |access-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630161825/http://arkansas-dar.org/robertcrittenden.htm |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cremeans-crocheron.html#658.58.19 Robert Crittenden] at The Political Graveyard
- [https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=108651&Result=1 The American Era] at Historical Marker Database
{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-new|rows=2|office}}
{{s-ttl|title=Governor of Arkansas Territory
{{small|Acting}}|years=1819}}
{{s-aft|after=James Miller}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Arkansas Territory|years=1819–1829}}
{{s-aft|after=William S. Fulton}}
{{s-end}}
{{Governors of Arkansas}}
{{Rose Law Firm}}
{{Portal bar|Arkansas|Biography|Journalism|law}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crittenden, Robert}}
Category:19th-century American lawyers
Category:19th-century American newspaper founders
Category:American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law
Category:American militia officers
Category:Arkansas Democratic-Republicans
Category:Governors of Arkansas Territory
Category:Military personnel from Kentucky
Category:Monroe administration personnel
Category:People from Woodford County, Kentucky