David Holmes | |
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| 5th Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 7, 1826 – July 25, 1826 | |
| Lieutenant | Gerard Brandon |
| Preceded by | Gerard Brandon |
| Succeeded by | Gerard Brandon |
| United States Senator fromMississippi | |
| In office August 30, 1820 – September 25, 1825 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Leake |
| Succeeded by | Powhatan Ellis |
| 1st Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office December 10, 1817 – January 5, 1820 | |
| Lieutenant | Duncan Stewart |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Governor of the Mississippi Territory) |
| Succeeded by | George Poindexter |
| 4thGovernor of Mississippi Territory | |
| In office March 7, 1809 – December 10, 1817 | |
| Appointed by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | Robert Williams |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Governor of the State of Mississippi) |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1809 | |
| Preceded by | Abram Trigg |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Swoope |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Moore |
| Succeeded by | James Stephenson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1769-03-10)March 10, 1769 |
| Died | August 20, 1832(1832-08-20) (aged 63) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic-Republican |
| Alma mater | College of William & Mary |
David Holmes (March 10, 1769 – August 20, 1832) was an American politician in Virginia and Mississippi. He served five terms as a U.S. congressman fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district and later was important in Mississippi's development as a state. The federal government appointed him as the fourth and last governor of theMississippi Territory. In1817, he was unanimously elected as the firstgovernor of the state ofMississippi. He served a term asU.S. senator from Mississippi, appointed to fill a vacancy until elected by the legislature. Elected again as governor, he was forced to resign early due to ill health. He returned toVirginia in his last years.
Born nearHanover in York County,Province of Pennsylvania, Holmes, as a child, moved with his family toFrederick County, Virginia. He attended Winchester Academy, ultimately studying law and passing the bar. He started his practice inHarrisonburg, Virginia. By adulthood, he considered himself a Virginian.[1] He served asU.S. Representative fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district, serving a total of five terms from 1797 until 1809, as he was repeatedly re-elected.
PresidentThomas Jefferson appointed Holmes as the fourth governor of theMississippi Territory. Holmes was very popular, and his appointment marked the end of a long period of political factionalism within the territory. European Americans were pressing to gain more land and encroaching on Native American territory of theChickasaw andChoctaw people.
Holmes was the last governor of the Mississippi Territory, serving from 1809 to 1817. He was generally successful in dealing with a variety of matters, including expansion, land policy, Indians, theWar of 1812, and the constitutional convention of 1817 (of which he was elected president).
Often concerned with problems regardingWest Florida, he had a significant role in 1810 in negotiations that led to the peaceful occupation by the United States of part of that territory. McCain (1967) concludes that Holmes's success was not based on brilliance but upon kindness, unselfishness, persuasiveness, courage, honesty, diplomacy, and intelligence.[2]
In 1817, Mississippi joined the United States as the 20th state. Holmeswas elected unanimously as the first governor of the State of Mississippi.[3] He took the oath of office in October 1817. However, Mississippi did not officially become a state until December. He established the state judicial system and the state militia during his term. He also organized the land east of thePearl River, which theChoctaw people had ceded to the United States under considerable pressure.
In 1820, he was appointed as aDemocratic-Republican to fill the US Senate vacancy from Mississippi caused by the resignation ofWalter Leake.[1] He was elected the same year by the state legislature (as was the practice then) as aJackson Republican in August 1820, serving from 1821 until late 1825, when he ran in thegubernatorial campaign and was elected to another term as governor.[4] He resigned as senator. Due to his declining health, he was able to serve only six months as Mississippi's fifth governor. If both territory and statehood years are counted, he is Mississippi's longest-serving governor, at over 11 years of service (10 years, 9 months, 29 days the first tenure; and 6 months, 18 days the second tenure).
Holmes returned to nearWinchester, Virginia, where his health failed. He died in 1832 at Jordan White Sulphur Springs resort. He was buried in the Mt. Hebron Cemetery in Winchester. He was predeceased by his brother, MajorAndrew Hunter Holmes, a casualty of theBattle of Mackinac Island during theWar of 1812.
Holmes County, Mississippi, is named in honor of him.[5]
Holmes Avenue inHuntsville, Alabama was part of theMississippi Territory when built and is named in honor of him.[6][7]
Holmes Avenue is named after David Holmes, who was the fourth Governor of Mississippi Territory and the first Governor of the state of Mississippi. He would later represent Mississippi in the United States Senate.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Mississippi Territory 1809–1817 | Succeeded by Himself as Governor of Mississippi |
| Preceded by Himself as Governor of Mississippi Territory | Governor of Mississippi 1817–1820 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Mississippi 1826 | Succeeded by Gerard Brandon |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Mississippi 1820–1825 Served alongside:Thomas H. Williams | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 4th congressional district 1803–1809 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district 1797–1803 | Succeeded by |
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| Class 2 | ||
Chairs of theUnited States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs | ||
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| Full Committee (1820–1947) | | |
| Select Committee (1977–1993) | ||
| Full Committee (1993–) | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
