John Bennett Dawson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Withers Chinn |
| Succeeded by | Alcée Louis la Branche |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1843 – June 26, 1845 | |
| Preceded by | John Moore |
| Succeeded by | John Henry Harmanson |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1823-1824 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1798-03-17)March 17, 1798 |
| Died | June 26, 1845(1845-06-26) (aged 47) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Margaret Johnson |
| Profession | Planter |
John Bennett Dawson (March 17, 1798 – June 26, 1845) was an American politician who served as aDemocrat in theUnited States House of Representatives from the state ofLouisiana.
Born nearNashville, Tennessee on March 17, 1798, he went toCentre College inDanville, Kentucky. He moved toLouisiana and became a planter residing at Wyoming Plantation; he was also interested in the newspaper business. He married Margaret Johnson and together they had four children. His daughter Anna Ruffin Dawson marriedRobert C. Wickliffe who would serve as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Louisiana in the 1850s.
From 1823 to 1824, Dawson was a member of theLouisiana House of Representatives representingFeliciana Parish.[1]
He unsuccessfully ran for Louisiana Governor in1834, He was defeated byWhig candidateEdward D. White.
In 1840, Dawson was elected as aDemocrat representing the Second District in the27th Congress. He was re-elected in 1842 and represented the Third District in the28th Congress. He served from March 4, 1841, until his death on June 26, 1845. He defeatedJames M. Elam (Whig) in the election of 1843.
He served as major-general in the Statemilitia, judge of the parish court inWest Feliciana Parish, and U.S.postmaster atNew Orleans from April 10, 1843, until December 19, 1843.
Dawson was known for his threats of violence, particularly on the topic of slavery. He once "threatened to cut a colleague’s throat ‘from ear to ear.’"[2] On separate occasions, he drew a Bowie knife on and raised a cocked pistol at the anti-slavery congressmanJoshua R. Giddings.[3]John Quincy Adams described him as a "drunken bully."[4]
Dawson died on June 26, 1845. His remains were interred inGrace Episcopal churchyard inSt. Francisville, Louisiana. His successor in Congress,John H. Harmanson, eulogized him on the floor of the House, but not without noting his "faults — some thought grave faults."[5]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by W. S. Hamilton | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Louisiana 1834 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's 2nd congressional district 1841 – 1843 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's 3rd congressional district 1843 – 1845 | Succeeded by |
