John Langdon (politician)

John Langdon ( born June 26, 1741 Portsmouth, New Hampshire, † September 18, 1819 ) was an American politician and from 1785 to 1812 several Governor of the State of New Hampshire. Between 1789 and 1801 he represented his state in the U.S. Senate, the first president pro tempore he was.

Early years and political rise

Langdon was born in colonial New Hampshire, where he attended the Hale Latin Grammar School. After school, he went a few years at sea, before he himself was a ship owner and trader. He supported from the beginning the American Revolution and was a member of the militia of New Hampshire. During the Revolutionary War, he was also involved in military skirmishes with the British. Between 1775 and 1776 he was a member of the Continental Congress. After that, he was entrusted with the supervision of the construction of some warships. Between 1776 and 1782, and from 1786 to 1787 he was a member of the House of Representatives from New Hampshire. He was temporarily President of the House ( Speaker). In between, he was from 1784 to 1785 in the Senate of New Hampshire. He was also a delegate to the 1778 Constitutional Conference that State. In 1785 he was first elected governor. His official title at the time was still "President of New Hampshire ."

Governor and U.S. Senator

Langdon was four times Governor of his state namely 1785-1786, 1788-1789, 1805-1809 and finally 1810-1812. Between his terms, he was in 1787 again a member of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention of the United States. He also belonged to the body which has ratified this Constitution for New Hampshire. Between 4 March 1789 and 3 March 1801, he acted as first class 3 senator his state in Congress. He was elected on 6 April 1789 for the first president pro tempore. This office he held from first to 9 August 1789 and then again from November 1792 to December 1793. During his first term as president pro tempore, he oversaw the counting of electoral votes to the first presidential election.

Other political activities

In the last years of his political activity Langdon was a member of the Democratic- Republican Party. In 1801 he declined an offer from President Thomas Jefferson, who offered him the post of Navy Minister. Instead, Langdon was 1801-1805 again deputy in the House of Representatives in his home state, during the last two years he was president of the house. In 1812 him the vice-presidency under President James Madison was offered, but which he also refused. Then he withdrew into retirement.

Miscellaneous

John Langdon was married to Elizabeth Sherburne, with whom he had two children. In New Hampshire the town of Langdon was named after him. John Langdon died on 18 September 1819 in his birthplace of Portsmouth and was buried there on the North Cemetery. His brother, Woodbury Langdon (1739-1805) was a member of the Continental Congress in 1779.