John Milledge
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office January 30, 1809 – May 21, 1809
Preceded by	Stephen R. Bradley
Succeeded by	Andrew Gregg
United States Senator fromGeorgia
In office June 19, 1806 – November 14, 1809
Preceded by	James Jackson
Succeeded by	Charles Tait
26thGovernor of Georgia
In office November 4, 1802 – September 23, 1806
Preceded by	Josiah Tattnall
Succeeded by	Jared Irwin
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Georgia'sat-large district
In office March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799
Preceded by	Thomas P. Carnes
Succeeded by	Benjamin Taliaferro
In office March 4, 1801 – May 1802
Preceded by	James Jones
Succeeded by	Peter Early
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's1st district
In office November 22, 1792 – March 3, 1793
Preceded by	Anthony Wayne
Succeeded by	None, seat eliminated
4thAttorney General of Georgia
In office 1780–1781
Preceded by	Williams Stephens
Succeeded by	Samuel Stirk
Personal details
Born	1757 (1757) Savannah,Province of Georgia,British America
Died	February 9, 1818 (aged 60–61) Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Georgia Militia
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Siege of Savannah

John Milledge (1757 – February 9, 1818) was an American politician. He fought in theAmerican Revolution and later served asUnited States Representative,26th Governor of Georgia, andUnited States Senator.^[1] Milledge was a founder ofAthens, Georgia, and theUniversity of Georgia. From January to May 1809, Milledge served briefly asPresident pro tempore of the United States Senate.

John Milledge was born inSavannah, the grandson of an original settler of Georgia. He was tutored privately andstudied law. After being admitted tothe bar, he opened alaw practice in Savannah. He owned slaves.^[2] At the onset of the Revolutionary War, Milledge was part of a group that took colonial governor SirJames Wright as a prisoner in 1775. He also took part in a raid of Savannah's royalarmory to procure gunpowder for the revolutionary cause. When the British captured Savannah, Milledge escaped toSouth Carolina, where American patriots nearly hanged him as a spy. He participated in theSiege of Savannah in an attempt to drive the British forces out. In 1778, he served as an aide to GovernorJohn Houstoun in an abortive campaign against the British inEast Florida. In 1781, as a colonel in the Georgia militia, he helped to recaptureAugusta.^[3]

Milledge's political career began in 1779, when he was elected to the patriot general assembly. After serving as theattorney general of Georgia, Milledge was a member of theGeorgia General Assembly. While in the General Assembly, he spoke out forcefully against theYazoo Land Acts.^[4] In 1792, the House of Representatives declared the seat ofAnthony Wayne vacant due to disputes over his residency. Milledge was elected to theSecond Congress to fill this vacancy and served from November 22, 1792, to March 3, 1793.^[5] Later, Milledge would be elected to theFourth andFifth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1795, to March 3, 1799. In 1801, he was again elected to Congress, this time as aDemocratic-Republican, and served from March 4, 1801, until he resigned in May 1802 to becomeGovernor of Georgia.

Milledge wasGovernor of Georgia from 1802 to 1806. As governor, he created Georgia's firstland lottery to combat corruption in the distribution of formerCreek lands to settlers.^[6] He also reorganized the statemilitia, and built a road from Georgia toTennessee passing throughCherokee lands.^[7]

In 1803,Milledgeville, Georgia, statecapital from 1804 to 1868, was named in his honor.^[8]

In 1806, he was elected as aDemocratic-Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofJames Jackson. He was a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of the policies of PresidentThomas Jefferson. In the10th United States Congress, he was namedPresident pro tempore of the Senate. He served as a Senator from June 19, 1806, until November 14, 1809, when he resigned.

With regards to the Napoleonic Wars, Milledge was outspokenly pro-British. Milledge remained very hostile to the French Revolution and believed that a close relationship with theUnited Kingdom was in the interest of the United States. Milledge said he saw "no value" in attempting to maintain relations with revolutionary France.^[9]

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Milledge was named to a commission to establish a site for the stateUniversity of Georgia (incorporated January 27, 1785). On July 25, 1801, Milledge bought with his own money some land^[10] on theOconee River for the school,^[11] and named the surrounding areaAthens, in honor of the city of Plato'sAcademy.

John Milledge Hall (circa 1921 as a male dormitory) at the University of Georgia, now houses the Office for Student Success and Achievement and the Regents' Center for Learning Disorders.

After retiring from the United States Senate, Milledge returned home, to live out his final years at hisplantation nearAugusta, Georgia. He died there, February 9, 1818, and was buried inSummerville Cemetery in that same city.^[12]

Milledge Avenue in downtown Athens is named for him. Milledge Avenue in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta is also named for him. Milledge Road in Augusta is also named for him.^[13]

John Milledge Academy in Milledgeville is named for John Milledge.

• Power of Attorney. Thomas Stephens, William Ewen & John Milledge, April 25, 1761. From Telamon Cuyler collection, ms 1170, series 1. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries. Web. Retrieved May 20, 2016.

• The founding of Milledgeville

• 1757 births
• 1818 deaths
• Politicians from Savannah, Georgia
• American people of English descent
• Anti-Administration Party United States representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Democratic-Republican Party United States senators from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate
• Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States
• Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)
• Georgia (U.S. state) attorneys general
• Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers
• Politicians from Athens, Georgia
• 19th-century American lawyers
• University of Georgia
• American militia officers
• Georgia (U.S. state) militiamen in the American Revolution
• United States senators who owned slaves
• United States representatives who owned slaves
• 19th-century United States senators
• 19th-century United States representatives
• 18th-century United States representatives

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