Thomas B. Robertson

Thomas Bolling Robertson ( born February 27, 1775 in Petersburg, Virginia; † October 5, 1828 in White Sulphur Springs, Virginia ) was an American politician and 1820-1824 Governor of the State of Louisiana.

Early years and political rise

Robertson attended until 1797, the William and Mary College in Virginia. After a subsequent law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1806, after which he began practicing in St. Petersburg. In 1807 he was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State at the Orleans Territory. He was from 1807 to 1811 Deputy Territorial Governor William Claiborne, with whom he sometimes had differences. After Louisiana was joined in 1812 as a federal state of the United States, Robertson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. There he represented between 30 April 1812 and the April 20, 1818 the new state. In Congress, he was chairman of the Committee for the administration of public lands ( Committee on Public Lands ). He sat down at the time of import duties on sugar in order to protect the sugar production in Louisiana from imports. After his time in Washington Robertson 1819-1820 Attorney General of Louisiana.

Governor of Louisiana

On July 3, 1820, he was elected as the candidate of the Democratic-Republican party for governor of Louisiana, where he was with 40.1 percent of votes in Pierre Derbigny (25 percent), Abner L. Duncan ( 21.7 percent ) and Jean Noel Destréhan ( 13.2 percent ) prevailed. Robertson took up his new post on December 18, 1820. During his tenure, the streets of the state have been expanded and improved the school system. Otherwise, his tenure was overshadowed by the contrasts between the Creole and the Anglo-American population. The Creoles had inhabited the land long before the immigrants from the North Americans and felt now patronized by them. There were riots between the two groups. Governor Robertson was against this development idly. The conflict and its inaction hurt his reputation as governor, and on 15 November 1824 he resigned in the face of hopeless situation. However, his tenure would already expired in December of the same year.

Another Journey

After his resignation, Robertson was the successor of the late John Dick judge at the Federal District Court for the Eastern and the Western District of Louisiana. This office he held until 1827. Due to his deteriorating health Robertson traveled in 1828 to White Sulphur Springs in what is now West Virginia. There he hoped in vain for a health improvement. He died on October 5, 1828 and was buried in the Copeland Hill Cemetery in White Sulphur Springs. Thomas Robertson was married to Lelia Skipwith.

His brother Wyndham Robertson (1803-1888) was 1836-1837 Governor of Virginia. Another brother, John Robertson (1787-1873), was sitting 1834-1839 for Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.

771847
de