James E. Broome

James Emilius Broome ( * October 15, 1808 in Hamburg, Aiken County, South Carolina, † November 23, 1883 in DeLand, Florida ) was an American politician and from 1853 to 1857 the third Governor of the State of Florida.

Early years

About Broome's early years provide the sources either lacking. It is certain that he moved to Tallahassee in the Florida territory in 1837. There he soon became one of the largest plantation owners in Florida. Between 1843 and 1848 he worked as a judge of the probate court in Leon County.

Governor of Florida

For the upcoming 1853 gubernatorial Broome was determined by the Democratic Party as a candidate and subsequently elected. His four-year term began on October 3, 1853, and ended on October 5, 1857. During this time Florida was drawn into the conflict between the North and South. Governor Broome was an advocate of the rights of the states against the federal government. That and his personal status as a wealthy plantation owners were the reasons for his support of the secession movement. Domestically, he was known to he lodged against many bills of the House of Representatives from Florida veto. Among other things, he also stopped a template for the abolition of the Supreme Court of the country.

Further CV

In accordance with the provisions of the State Constitution Broome could not be re-elected immediately after the expiry of his term of office. Therefore, he had to resign from office in 1857. Between 1860 and 1864 he was a member of the Senate from Florida. A year later, after the end of the civil war, he retired from politics. He decided to move to New York City and spend his retirement there. James Broome died in November 1883, when he visited his son in Florida. He was married five times and had three children.