David Barton (politician)
David Barton (* December 14, 1783 in Greeneville, North Carolina, † September 28, 1837 in Boonville, Missouri ) was an American politician. He was one of the first two U.S. senators for the state of Missouri.
David Barton was born in Greeneville in what is now Tennessee, at that time still belonged to North Carolina. After training as a lawyer, he was admitted to the Bar Association of Tennessee. In 1809 he moved to Missouri Territory, to which he was elected Attorney General in 1813. From 1815 he was county judge in Howard County, in the following year he took over the presidency in this Court.
In 1818 he began to engage in political activities and was a deputy in the territorial House of Representatives to the Speaker, he also rose. Two years later he was a member and president of the Constitutional Convention for the new State of Missouri. After its inclusion in the Union Barton, who was at that time the Democratic-Republican Party, and Thomas Hart Benton became effective on August 10, 1821 Senator her office in Washington DC of. At the time of his re-election in 1825, the Democratic Republicans had split into several factions; Barton belonged to the wing to President John Quincy Adams, the Adams Democrats, from which in the course of his second term, the National Republican Party emerged, for which he ultimately sat until March 3, 1831 the Senate. When trying to re-election he was defeated in 1830 Alexander Buckner. During his time as a senator, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Public Lands.
In 1823 David Barton opposed the reappointment of William Rector to the top surveyor ( Surveyor -General ) for the territory of Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas, because he accused this to occupy high positions in his department with relatives and too high this to pay salaries. His brother Joshua, 1820-1821 First Secretary of State of Missouri, published the allegations in a newspaper, to which he was challenged by Rector's brother Thomas to a duel, in which he lost his life. U.S. President James Madison nominated William Rector not again for his office.
From 1834 to 1835 David Barton belonged to the Senate from Missouri, then he retired to private life and died in 1837. According to him, the Barton County is named in Missouri.