Linn Boyd

Linn Boyd ( born November 22, 1800 Nashville, Tennessee, † December 17, 1859 in Paducah, Kentucky ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States from 1851 to 1855.

Life and work

Linn Boyd was born in 1800, the son of Abraham and Elizabeth Linn in Nashville. At the age of 19 years, Boyd had been United States Commissioner and closed by order of President Andrew Jackson signed a contract that took the land from the Chickasaw Indians in the vicinity of the Mississippi and Ohio River in American possession. In 1826 he moved to the so-called " Jackson Purchase" into the newly created Calloway County, where he established a farm. Among his fellow citizens, he was very popular and he became in 1827 deputy in the House of Representatives from Kentucky. Even after his move to Trigg County in 1831, he was again elected to the state legislature.

After he had in 1833 lost the race for a seat in the House of Representatives of the United States, he was took in his second attempt more successful and his first term in Congress from March 4, 1835 to March 3, 1837. A landslide victory of the Whigs demanded a suspension for a legislature. But as early as 1839 Boyd returned back to Washington and represented his country from 26th to 33rd Congress, whose spokesman he was from December 1, 1851 to March 3, 1855. In 1848 he declined after the election by his party from the candidacy for the post of governor of Kentucky. During his tenure, he played a major role in the annexation of Texas and the passing of the Compromise of 1850. 1852 he moved to Paducah in McCracken County. The delegates at the Democratic National Convention of 1856 decided against Boyd as a possible Vice President of the United States, and John C. Breckinridge. 1859 Linn Boyd was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky; However, he died on 17 December of the same year, before he could be sworn.

Boyd was married twice. His first wife Alice C. Bennett and died from his second marriage to Anna Rhey Dixon showed her son Rhey Boyd.