James Clarke (Iowa politician)

James Clarke ( born July 5, 1812 in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, † July 28, 1850 in Burlington, Iowa ) was an American politician. He was 1845-1846 last governor of the Iowa Territory.

Career

Little is known about Clarke's youth and education. Between 1839 and 1841 he served as Secretary of State ( Secretary ) in the Iowa Territory. He was the representative of the Territorial Governor Robert Lucas. Between 1844 and 1845 he was mayor of the city of Burlington. He was also a delegate to the 1844 held Constituent Assembly of Iowa.

Thereafter he was appointed as the successor to John Chambers for the last territorial governor in 1845. At that time, its membership was as good as decided state to the United States as. In his short tenure until 1846 then the transition of the territory was completed to a federal state. In 1846, he handed over his office to the newly elected first governor of the new state, Ansel Briggs. James Clarke died in July 1850 of cholera. He was married to a daughter of U.S. Senator Henry Dodge of Wisconsin.