Charles A. Wickliffe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles A. Wickliffe
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 5th district
In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863
Preceded by	John Brown
Succeeded by	Robert Mallory
11th United States Postmaster General
In office September 13, 1841 – March 4, 1845
President	John Tyler
Preceded by	Francis Granger
Succeeded by	Cave Johnson
14th Governor of Kentucky Acting
In office August 27, 1839 – September 2, 1840
Preceded by	James Clark
Succeeded by	Robert P. Letcher
11th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office August 31, 1836 – August 27, 1839
Governor	James Clark
Preceded by	James Morehead
Succeeded by	Manlius Valerius Thomson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 9th district
In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1833
Preceded by	Thomas Montgomery
Succeeded by	James Love
Personal details
Born	Charles Anderson Wickliffe (1788-06-08)June 8, 1788 Springfield, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	October 31, 1869(1869-10-31) (aged 81) Ilchester, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican (Before 1825) Whig (1834–1852) Unionist (1852–1863) Democratic (1863–1866)
Spouse	Margaret Crepps
Children	Robert
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Battles/wars	War of 1812

Charles Anderson Wickliffe (born June 8, 1788 – died October 31, 1869) was an important American politician from Kentucky. He served in the United States House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. He also became the 14th Governor of Kentucky and was appointed United States Postmaster General by President John Tyler. Even though he was part of the Whig Party, he often had his own ideas. He sometimes disagreed with Henry Clay, who helped start the Whig Party.

Wickliffe had a good education, learning in public schools and from private teachers. He studied law and was part of a debate club. This club included other future leaders like Felix Grundy and William Pope Duval. In 1812, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He strongly supported the War of 1812 and even served briefly as an assistant to two American generals. In 1823, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving five terms in a row.

He returned to the state House in 1833. In 1836, he was elected the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. When Governor James Clark passed away in 1839, Wickliffe became acting governor. He served for the rest of Clark's term. After his time as governor, President Tyler made him United States Postmaster General. In 1845, President James K. Polk sent Wickliffe on a secret mission to Texas. This mission was to check on British and French plans for Texas and see if the U.S. could take it over.

In 1861, Wickliffe was elected to the U.S. House again for one term. He tried to stop the Civil War from happening. He attended meetings like the Peace Conference of 1861 and the Border States Convention. Once the war began, he supported the Union cause. In 1863, he ran for governor again, but he lost. Later in his life, Wickliffe was hurt in a carriage accident and lost his eyesight. He passed away on October 31, 1869, while visiting his daughter.

Early Life and Education

Charles Anderson Wickliffe was born on June 8, 1788. His birthplace was a log cabin near Springfield, Kentucky. He was the youngest of nine children. His family had moved to Kentucky from Virginia in 1784.

Wickliffe went to local schools in Springfield. He also attended Wilson's Academy in Bardstown. For a year, he had a private teacher named James Blythe. Blythe was the acting president of Transylvania University. Wickliffe then studied law with his cousin, Martin D. Hardin. In 1809, he became a lawyer and started working in Bardstown.

He and five other lawyers in Bardstown formed a debate club. It was called The Pleiades Club. Famous members included Wickliffe, Felix Grundy, and William Pope Duval. Wickliffe was known to enjoy playing cards. His friends tried to help him stop gambling. One night, they tried to win all his money. But Wickliffe ended up winning all of theirs! When he found out their plan, he agreed to stop gambling.

In 1813, Wickliffe married Margaret Cripps. They had three sons and five daughters. Their son, Robert, later became the Governor of Louisiana. Their daughter Nancy married David Levy Yulee.

The Wickliffes hired an architect to build their home. They named it "Wickland". This house later became known as "the home of three governors." Besides Charles Wickliffe and his son Robert, his grandson, J. C. W. Beckham, also lived there. Beckham later became a governor of Kentucky.

Political Journey and Public Service

Wickliffe's political career began in 1812. He was elected to represent Nelson County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He served there in 1812 and 1813. During this time, he strongly supported the War of 1812. He helped General Joseph Winlock and General Samuel Caldwell. He was an aide-de-camp (an assistant) to them. He served in this role at the Battle of the Thames in 1813. In 1816, he became the Commonwealth's Attorney for Nelson County.

Wickliffe returned to the Kentucky House in 1822 and 1823. During this time, there was a big argument in Kentucky. It was called the Old Court-New Court controversy. Many people wanted help with their debts after a financial crisis. The state's highest court said some debt relief laws were against the rules. So, the legislature tried to create a new court. For a while, two courts claimed to be the highest court. Wickliffe supported the "Old Court," which eventually won.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

In 1823, Wickliffe was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served five terms in a row. He took over the seat from his cousin, Ben Hardin. Even though he was a Whig, he often disagreed with Henry Clay. Clay was a founder of the Whig Party. In the 1824 presidential election, no candidate won enough votes. So, the House of Representatives had to decide. Clay wanted Wickliffe to vote for him. But Wickliffe voted for Andrew Jackson, as the Kentucky legislature wanted.

Some historians believe Wickliffe's independent votes affected his early career. He didn't get many committee jobs at first. But starting in 1829, he led the Committee on Public Lands. In this role, he disagreed with Clay's plan to share extra government money. He thought it was unfair to newer states. He also disagreed with Clay about limiting slavery.

In 1830, his fellow lawmakers chose Wickliffe for an important task. He was one of the managers for the impeachment trial of Judge James H. Peck. In 1831, Wickliffe was a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat. He received many votes but not enough to win. He did not run for re-election to the House in 1833.

Becoming Governor of Kentucky

Wickliffe served in the state legislature again from 1833 to 1835. In 1834, he became the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. In 1836, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. He won against Elijah Hise by a small number of votes. Governor James Clark passed away on October 5, 1839. Wickliffe then became the acting governor. He served for the remaining nine months of Clark's term.

As governor, Wickliffe faced a big challenge: the Panic of 1837. This was a financial crisis. He suggested raising property taxes to cover government spending. But the legislature chose to borrow money instead. Wickliffe made sure the state paid its debts. He only asked for more money for a few things. These included improving river travel, keeping state records safe, and public education.

Working with Presidents Tyler and Polk

Wickliffe helped campaign for William Henry Harrison and John Tyler in the 1840 presidential election. Wickliffe and Tyler were friends. They had shared a room when they were both in Congress. When Harrison died, Tyler became president. Tyler then appointed Wickliffe as United States Postmaster General. This choice made some of Clay's supporters in the party upset. Wickliffe served in Tyler's government until March 1845.

On August 1, 1844, Wickliffe was on a steamship. He was traveling from Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland. A man attacked him with a knife. The knife hit Wickliffe's breastbone but did not cause serious harm. A U.S. Navy officer stopped the attacker. Wickliffe was not badly hurt and went home a few days later. The attacker was later found to be mentally ill.

Wickliffe supported the annexation of Texas. This issue helped lead to Clay's defeat in the 1844 presidential election. In 1845, President James K. Polk sent Wickliffe on a secret mission. He went to the Republic of Texas. His goal was to stop Britain and France from interfering with the U.S. taking over Texas. He also tried to convince Texas leaders to move their army into Mexico. Wickliffe hoped this would give the U.S. a stronger reason to annex Texas. They didn't convince Texas to invade, but they did get more support for annexation. Wickliffe's actions on Texas further separated him from the Whig Party.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1849, Wickliffe was chosen to be a delegate for a state constitutional convention. He had been against having such a convention ten years earlier. His political rivals said this showed he was inconsistent. But Wickliffe disagreed. The next year, he helped revise Kentucky's laws. In 1861, he led the state Democratic convention in Louisville.

Wickliffe was elected to Congress again, serving from 1861 to 1863. He was a Union Whig. He was against the idea of states leaving the Union. He attended the Peace Conference of 1861 and the Border States Convention. These meetings tried to prevent the Civil War. In April 1861, he attended a secret meeting. They planned to arm Union supporters in Kentucky. President Lincoln provided rifles for this effort.

Near the end of his time in Congress, Wickliffe was in a carriage accident. He was permanently injured. Despite his injury, he stayed active in politics. In 1863, he ran for governor again. He ran as a Peace Democrat, against Lincoln. However, military forces interfered with the election. Wickliffe lost to Thomas E. Bramlette.

Wickliffe was a delegate to the 1864 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He voted for George B. McClellan. In his final years, he became completely blind. He passed away on October 31, 1869, while visiting his daughter in Ilchester, Maryland. He was buried in Bardstown Cemetery in Bardstown. During World War I, a U.S. naval ship was named in Wickliffe's honor.

Images for kids

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  Wickland, the home of Wickliffe

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  Burial site in Bardstown, Kentucky