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Jared Irwin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of Georgia | |
| In office January 15, 1796 – January 12, 1798 | |
| Preceded by | George Mathews |
| Succeeded by | James Jackson |
| In office September 23, 1806 – November 10, 1809 | |
| Preceded by | John Milledge |
| Succeeded by | David B. Mitchell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1750 (1750) |
| Died | (aged 67–68) |
| Party | Democratic-Republican |
| Signature | .png) |
Jared Irwin (1750 – March 1, 1818) served twice as electedGovernor of Georgia (1796–1798) and (1806–1809). He first was elected to office as a reformer based on public outrage about theYazoo land scandal. He signed a bill that nullified the Yazoo Act, which had authorized the land sales. Challenges to land claims purchased under the former act led to theUnited States Supreme Court's hearing the caseFletcher v. Peck (1810). In a landmark decision, the Court upheld theland contracts, and ruled that the state law was unconstitutional in trying tonullify valid contracts.
Jared Irwin was born in 1750 in what was thenAnson County, North Carolina. (His birthplace is now located inMecklenburg County, which was formed from the western portion of Anson County in 1762.) His family moved toBurke County, Georgia when he was young.
Irwin fought in theAmerican Revolution, in which he entered the army as a private. During the war, he demonstrated leadership and was promoted to the rank of colonel.[1]
He was a member of the state convention that adopted theConstitution of 1789.
In September 1794, 1,200 Georgia militiamen, led by Irwin acting in conjunction with federal troops stationed on theOconee, surrounded and isolated GeneralElijah Clarke's fortifications on the Oconee called theTrans-Oconee Republic.[2] After some negotiation, Clarke agreed to surrender, provided that he and his men would not face prosecution for their actions. Clarke and his followers departed, and the militia burned down the new settlements and fortifications.
Soon after the end of the war, Georgia and other states rapidly tried to develop their frontier lands. It was an environment ripe for scandal and speculation, which took place in Georgia and other states. Because of public outrage about millions of acres of state lands' being sold for low prices to insider speculators, Irwin was elected Governor in 1795 to clean up theYazoo land scandal. On February 13, 1796, less than two months after taking office, Irwin signed the bill nullifying the Yazoo Act. To make a public statement, he burned a copy of the Yazoo Act on the grounds of the capital.[3] The legislature had just moved the capital toLouisville in response to the scandal.
During his second term, Irwin administered the state's secondland lottery, as land sales and development were still a priority for the state. He was defeated for re-election in 1809 byDavid Brydie Mitchell, a judge who was a former state legislator and mayor of Savannah.[4][5] Irwin also unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1793, 1801, and 1811.[6][7][8]
Irwin died on March 1, 1818, aged approximately 68 years. A resident ofWashington County, Irwin was buried nearOhoopee Baptist Church.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Georgia 1796–1798 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Georgia 1806–1809 | Succeeded by |
