Archibald Dixon

Archibald Dixon
A man in his fifties, facing right, with chin-length, curly, white hair. He is wearing a white shirt, black tie, and black jacket.
United States Senator
from Kentucky
In office
September 1, 1852 – March 3, 1855
Preceded byDavid Meriwether
Succeeded byJohn J. Crittenden
13th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office
September 4, 1844 – September 6, 1848
GovernorWilliam Owsley
Preceded byManlius Valerius Thomson
Succeeded byJohn L. Helm
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office
1830–1833
Personal details
BornApril 2, 1802
Caswell County, North Carolina
DiedApril 23, 1876(1876-04-23) (aged 74)
Henderson, Kentucky
Resting placeFernwood Cemetery
37°49′23″N 87°35′30″W / 37.8231°N 87.59168°W / 37.8231; -87.59168
Political partyWhig
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Robertson Cabell
Susan Peachy Bullitt
RelationsFather-in-law of John Y. Brown
OccupationLawyer
Signature

Archibald Dixon (April 2, 1802 – April 23, 1876) was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky. He represented the Whig Party in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, and was elected the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1844, serving under Governor William Owsley. In 1851, the Whigs nominated him for governor, but he lost to Lazarus W. Powell, his former law partner.

Dixon represented Henderson County at the Kentucky constitutional convention of 1849. In this capacity, he ensured that strong protections of slave property were included in the Kentucky Constitution of 1850. Later, the General Assembly chose Dixon to fill the unexpired Senate term of Henry Clay. He served from September 1, 1852, to March 3, 1855, and did not stand for re-election. During his short tenure, Dixon's major accomplishment was convincing Stephen Douglas to include language in the Kansas–Nebraska Act that explicitly repealed the Missouri Compromise's prohibition on slavery north of latitude 36°30'.

Despite his pro-slavery views, Dixon was loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He represented his county and his state in a number of failed conventions that sought to resolve the upcoming conflict before it began. In 1864, he joined Kentucky governor Thomas E. Bramlette in an audience with President Abraham Lincoln protesting the recruitment of former slaves as Union soldiers in Kentucky. Dixon died on April 23, 1876.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne