John Brooks (governor)

John Brooks ( born May 4, 1752 Medford, Massachusetts, † March 1, 1825 ) was an American politician and from 1816 to 1823 Governor of Massachusetts.

Early years and political rise

John Brooks attended the public schools of his home. After a subsequent medical studies he worked as a doctor in Reading and in Medfield. During the Revolutionary War, he fought in the Continental Army and took part in several battles.

After the war, Brooks began a political career. He was a member of the Federalist Party, founded by Alexander Hamilton. Between 1785 and 1786 he was a delegate in the House of Representatives from Massachusetts. In 1788 he was a member of the Assembly, which ratified the Constitution of the United States for Massachusetts. As a major general of militia he hit 1786 the so-called Shay Rebellion. In 1791 he was Federal Marshal for Massachusetts. In the same year he was also a member of the State Senate. From 1792 to 1796 he was a brigadier general in the U.S. Army 1812-1816, he served as adjutant general commander of the militia of his state. On April 1, 1816, he was elected as the new governor.

Governor of Massachusetts

John Brooks took office on 30 May 1816. After he was re-elected in the following years each, he could hold such office until 31 May 1823. The most important event of this period was the establishment of the State of Maine in 1820. The area of the new state belonged until then to Massachusetts. The founding of Maine was part of the drawn up by Senator Henry Clay Missouri Compromise of 1820, after which Maine should be included as a free state and Missouri as a slave State in which slavery was allowed into the Union. In Brooks ' tenure, the state constitution of Massachusetts was reformed. In 1823, the governor declined to run again. He was the last Federalist, was elected to the United States in an important political office before the party broke up.

After the end of his governorship, John Brooks withdrew from politics. He died on 1 March 1825., With his wife Lucy Smith Governor Brooks had a child.