Robert P. Letcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert P. Letcher
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| 16th United States Ambassador to Mexico | |
| In office 1849–1852 |
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| President | Zachary Taylor |
| Preceded by | Nathan Clifford |
| Succeeded by | Robert Greenhow |
| 15th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office September 2, 1840 – September 4, 1844 |
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| Lieutenant | Manlius Valerius Thomson |
| Preceded by | Charles A. Wickliffe |
| Succeeded by | William Owsley |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district |
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| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1833 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
| Succeeded by | Martin Beaty |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 5th district |
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| In office August 6, 1834 – March 3, 1835 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Mentor Johnson |
| Succeeded by | James Harlan |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
| In office 1813–1815 1817–1821 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | February 10, 1788 Goochland County, Virginia |
| Died | January 24, 1861 (aged 72) Frankfort, Kentucky |
| Resting place | Frankfort Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic Republican, National Republican Party, Whig |
| Spouses | Mary Oden Epps Charlotte Robertson |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Robert Perkins Letcher (born February 10, 1788 – died January 24, 1861) was an important politician and lawyer from Kentucky. He served in several key roles. He was a U.S. Representative and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. Later, he became the Minister to Mexico.
Letcher's family moved to Kentucky around 1800. He studied law and became a lawyer. During the War of 1812, he briefly served in the military. His political career started in 1813. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1823. He was a strong supporter of the Whig Party. He was also a close friend of famous politicians like Henry Clay.
In 1840, Letcher became the Whig candidate for governor of Kentucky. He won the election by a large number of votes. As governor, he helped Kentucky recover from a tough financial time. After his term, President Zachary Taylor appointed him as Minister to Mexico. Letcher tried to return to the U.S. House later but lost. He remained active in politics until he died in 1861.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Perkins Letcher was born in Goochland County, Virginia, on February 10, 1788. He was one of twelve children. His family moved to Kentucky around 1800. They first lived in Harrodsburg, then settled in Garrard County. Robert went to local schools but was known for being a bit unruly.
He later attended a private school run by Joshua Fry. There, he got a good education. After school, he worked at his father's brickyard. It's said that he helped build the first Kentucky governor's mansion. He then studied law and became a lawyer in Lancaster, Kentucky. Like many people at the time, he owned slaves.
Letcher married Susan Oden Epps first, but she died in 1816. He then married Charlotte Robertson. She was the sister of George Robertson, who was also a congressman. They did not have children of their own, but they raised one of their nieces.
Political Journey
Letcher was known as "Black Bob" and was famous for his humor. He would even play a fiddle to distract people at his opponents' speeches! His political career began in 1813. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He served there for several years.
Serving in the U.S. House
In 1823, Letcher was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Kentucky's fourth district for ten years. He was a strong supporter of Henry Clay.
In the 1824 presidential election, no candidate won enough votes directly. So, the House of Representatives had to decide. Letcher helped Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams work together. This led to Adams becoming president. Some people, like Andrew Jackson, called this a "corrupt bargain". They thought Clay supported Adams in exchange for a job.
Letcher supported Adams' government. But when Andrew Jackson became president in 1828, Letcher opposed his policies. He supported projects to improve roads and canals. He also helped Henry Clay with a plan to solve the "Nullification Crisis" in 1833. This crisis was about states' rights versus federal power.
In 1833, Letcher had a very close election for his House seat. The vote was so close that a new election had to be held. Letcher won the new election. He did not run for re-election after that term. He later returned to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He was elected Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838.
Governor of Kentucky
In 1840, Robert Letcher was chosen by the Whig Party to run for governor. He won the election by a large margin. The Whigs also gained many seats in the state legislature.
During his time as governor, Kentucky was still recovering from a financial crisis. Letcher cut government spending a lot. He stopped building new roads and improving rivers. These actions helped reduce the state's debt. By the end of his term, Kentucky's finances were much better. The state even had a small budget surplus.
Letcher also helped people facing financial trouble. He allowed some laws to pass that protected people from losing their property. He encouraged banks to give out small loans. As the economy improved, state banks started making payments in gold and silver again. Kentucky's economy became much stronger under his leadership.
In 1844, Letcher declared the first official Thanksgiving Day in Kentucky. After leaving office, he went back to being a lawyer.
Serving as a Diplomat in Mexico
Letcher strongly supported Zachary Taylor for president in 1848. When Taylor won, he appointed Letcher as the United States' top diplomat to Mexico. Letcher arrived in Mexico City in February 1850.
His main job was to make a treaty about a transit route across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This was a narrow strip of land in Mexico. American citizens wanted to build a transportation route there. Letcher worked for months to get a treaty signed. He managed to get a treaty in June 1850.
However, the new U.S. Secretary of State wanted changes to the treaty. Mexico refused to accept these changes. Letcher even suggested the U.S. might use force, but Mexico still said no. Eventually, Letcher signed a slightly better treaty in January 1851. But public opinion in Mexico turned against any deal with the U.S. The Mexican government canceled the agreement. Letcher tried to get a new treaty, but he couldn't. He returned home in August 1852.
Later Political Activities
After returning from Mexico, Letcher went back to his law practice. In 1853, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives again. He was challenging John C. Breckinridge, a Democrat. This district was usually a Whig stronghold.
Letcher and Breckinridge had many debates. Letcher often tried to appeal to party loyalty. He sometimes got angry during debates. Breckinridge's supporters even nicknamed Letcher "Coat Tails" because he was once held back by his coat during a debate.
Both candidates received money to help their campaigns. Some of this money was used to influence voters. Breckinridge won the election. Letcher's loss showed that the Whig Party was losing its power in Kentucky.
This was Letcher's last time running for public office. However, he stayed active in politics. He supported Millard Fillmore in the 1856 presidential election. He also advised his friend John J. Crittenden on important political issues.
After the Whig Party broke apart, Letcher supported "Know-Nothing" candidates. In the 1860 presidential election, he supported John Bell. He hoped Bell could help solve the growing problems between the North and South. Letcher's health was failing by then. He died at his home in Frankfort on January 24, 1861. He is buried in Frankfort Cemetery. Letcher County, Kentucky is named after him.
