Alexandre Mouton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 30, 1843 – February 12, 1846 | |
| Preceded by | Andre B. Roman |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Johnson |
| United States Senator fromLouisiana | |
| In office January 12, 1837 – March 1, 1842 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Porter |
| Succeeded by | Charles M. Conrad |
| Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1831–1832 | |
| Preceded by | Andre B. Roman |
| Succeeded by | Alcée Louis la Branche |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1836–1837 | |
| In office 1827–1832 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 19, 1804 |
| Died | (1885-02-12)February 12, 1885 (aged 80) |
| Resting place | St. John's Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Zelia Rousseau (2) Emma Kitchell Gardner |
| Children | 11, includingAlfred |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
Alexandre Mouton (November 19, 1804 – February 12, 1885) was aCajunplanter and politician who served as the firstDemocraticGovernor of Louisiana from 1843 to 1846. He previously served in the Louisiana State Legislature, as U.S. Senator of Louisiana, and led the 1845 State constitutional convention which abolished property qualifications to vote or hold public office.[1][2]
Mouton served as President of theLouisiana Secession Convention in 1861, declaring Louisiana a “free, sovereign, and independent power” before it joined theConfederate States of America two months later.[1][2]
Alexandre Mouton was born inAttakapas district (nowLafayette Parish) to Marie Marthe Bordat and Jean Mouton, both descendants ofAcadian exiles. His father was the founder of the town ofVermilionville. He attended local schools, graduated fromGeorgetown College, and also studied law under Charles Antoine and Edward Simon ofSt. Martinville. After being admitted to the bar in 1835, he began his law practice in Lafayette Parish and was a founder of the Union Bank of Louisiana.[1][2]
Mouton owned the 2,100 acre Île Copal sugar cane plantation in Lafayette which was worked by 120 slaves.[3]
He married Zelia Rousseau, the granddaughter of GovernorJacques Dupré, in 1826; they had 5 children before her death in 1837, one of whom died in infancy. In 1842, he married Emma Kitchell Gardner; this marriage produced eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood.[4]
Mouton was elected to theLouisiana House of Representatives in 1827 and became Speaker from 1831 to 1832. He was apresidential elector on theDemocratic ticket in the1828,1832, and1836 Presidential elections and was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1830 to the Twenty-second Congress. In 1836 he was again elected as a member of the State House of Representatives but resigned a year later to fulfill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate.[5]
After SenatorAlexander Porter resigned due to ill health, Mouton was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill his vacancy. He was re-elected to another term, serving from January 12, 1837, until his resignation on March 1, 1842. While in the Senate he was chairman of theCommittee on Agriculture.[5]
Mouton won the1842 Louisiana Gubernatorial Election becoming the first Democratic candidate to become governor of the state. He reduced expenditures and liquidated state assets to balance the budget and meet bond obligations without raising taxes. He sold state-owned steamboats, equipment, land, and slaves used to remove theRed River Raft in 1834 under GovernorRoman. The revenue from the sale of public lands went to funding public education, but all other income went to paying off the state debt. He opposed all expenditures forinternal improvements and leased out state penitentiary labor and equipment.[1][2]
In 1845, he led the constitutional convention which removed property qualifications for suffrage and office holding, and the election of all local officials and most judges. The new constitution also called for the state legislature to begin a system for public education.[1]
After his term as Governor, Mouton continued his political career. He was president of the Southwestern Railroad Convention in New Orleans in 1852 and also served as the leader of the Louisiana delegation to the1860 Democratic National Convention. Elected as the President of the Louisiana Secession Convention held in Baton Rouge in 1861; Mouton led the vote to pass the Ordinance of Secession.[1]
After two months of independence, Louisiana officially joined the Confederate States after which Mouton ran an unsuccessful campaign forConfederate Senate. During theCivil War, Mouton was arrested after Union troops occupied his plantation and used it as a headquarters. The sugar refinery was burned and all of his slave workers were freed. His sonAlfred Mouton served as a General in theConfederate Army and was killed in action during theBattle of Mansfield. His daughter married Confederate Major GeneralFranklin Gardner, whose older sister became his own second wife. After the end of the war, he returned to being a sugar planter. He died in Lafayette on February 12, 1885. He is buried in the cemetery atSt. John's Cathedral.[1][2]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Louisiana 1842 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Alexandre Mouton 1831–1832 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Louisiana 1837–1842 Served alongside:Robert C. Nicholas,Alexander Barrow | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Louisiana 1843–1846 | Succeeded by |
| Class 2 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| Agriculture (1829–1857; 1863–1881) | | |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Forestry (1884–1977) | ||
| Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (1977–) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
