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Story Archives: The 26-year-old governor & the hope of Washington, Miss.
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The 26-year-old governor & the hope of Washington, Miss.
 The meteoric rise of Mississippi Territory's new capital of Washington in Adams County came at a time when politics was reshaping the Natchez frontier, a transformation that began after Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican Party) took office as President in March of 1801.
Mississippi's first territorial governor, Winthrop Sargent, an appointee of former President John Adams (Federalist Party), lost his job when Jefferson became the commander-in-chief. The new President replaced Sargent with 26-year-old William Charles Cole Claiborne, a congressman and former judge from Tennessee, who made his own appointments to the numerous positions the governor's office controlled.
Natchez was the capital when Claiborne arrived, but not long afterward, on Feb. 1, 1802, the Mississippi Territory Legislature, dominated by politicians outside Natchez, voted to move the capital to Washington. Jefferson had considered Natchez' aristocratic and pro-Federalist leadership as corrupt.
Legislators also enacted a law requiring that to vote a white man must own at least 50 acres of land. In Natchez, few of the merchants, lawyers or other professionals owned that much property.
Insulting statements followed. Some of the Natchez powers characterized the legislators who supported the changes as men "not being very brilliant," and alleged that most were simply "plain unlettered farmers." The legislators supporting these territorial changes had poured salt into the wounds of Sargent supporters when they agreed to build the territory capital on John Foster's plantation six miles northeast of Natchez. They named the new village Washington, in honor of the first president.
Other factors made Washington the new capital, including the belief of some legislators that it was "the healthiest spot in the District." Claiborne, the new governor, soon began setting up governmental offices and receiving guests. Quickly the little village became the talk of the nation as the eyes of the country focused on the Natchez frontier during the exciting days of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the years of exploration that followed.
Born in 1775 near Richmond, VA, the son of a Revolutionary War colonel, Claiborne exemplified the energy and ambition of many young men during the era. His father's long absences due to the revolution made a huge impression on the Claiborne clan as the family's bleak financial situation grow even bleaker by war's end. But the colonel was a loving father, and he taught his children -- four boys and a girl -- about the value of hard work and honesty, and of the responsibilities and price of freedom.
Young William was precocious. He studied the Bible and vowed to overcome his poverty. With his possessions in his left hand and a firm hand shake in his right, Claiborne, at the age of 15, traveled to New York where Congress met during the early months of government. An acquaintance helped him land a job as a congressional clerk. There Claiborne was required to copy resolutions and help draft bills. When he wasn't working, he studied and listened to the debates, soaking it all in.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
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