Alexandre Mouton (November 19, 1804 – February 12, 1885) was a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

and the 11th Governor of Louisiana.

Early life

He was born in Attakapas district (now

Lafayette Parish Lafayette Parish (french: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat is ...

) into a wealthy plantation-owning Acadian family. He pursued classical studies and graduated from

Georgetown College Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...

. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1825, and commenced practice in Lafayette Parish. He married Zelia Rousseau, the granddaughter of Governor

Jacques Dupré Jacques Dupré (February 12, 1773 – September 14, 1846) was a Louisiana State Representative, State Senator and the eighth Governor. Born in New Orleans the eldest son of Laurent Dupré de Terrebonne (or, Dupré d'Arbonne) and Marie Joséphi ...

, in 1826; they had 5 children before her death in 1837, one of whom died in infancy. In 1842, he married Emma Kitchell Gardner; this marriage produced eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood.

Political career

From 1827 to 1832 was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, serving as speaker in 1831 - 1832. He was a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

on the Democratic ticket in 1828, 1832, and 1836, and was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1830 to the Twenty-second Congress. In 1836 he was again a member of the State house of representatives. Mouton was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alexander Porter, was reelected to the full term, and served from January 12, 1837, until his resignation on March 1, 1842. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Agriculture (Twenty-sixth Congress). From 1843 to 1846, Mouton was governor of Louisiana. As governor, Mouton reduced expenditures and liquidated state assets to balance the budget and meet bond obligations without raising taxes. He sold state-owned steamboats, equipment and slaves used to remove the Red River Raft in 1834 under Governor Roman. As governor, he opposed all expenditures for

internal improvements Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, canal ...

. He leased out state penitentiary labor and equipment. He supported the call for a constitutional convention, removal of property qualifications for suffrage and office holding, and the election of all local officials and most judges.

Civil War

He was president of the State

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

convention in 1861 and an unsuccessful candidate to the

Confederate Senate The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

. Actively involved in railroads, he was president of the Southwestern Railroad Convention. He was an active supporter of the Confederacy, devoting a large amount of his wealth to the cause. His son Alfred Mouton became a general and died at the

Battle of Mansfield A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

. His daughter married Confederate

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Franklin Gardner, whose older sister became his own second wife.

Death

He died near Vermillionville (now Lafayette) in 1885. He is buried in the cemetery at St. John's Cathedral.

References

Congressional Bioguide's Guide to Research Collections for Alexander MoutonNational Governors Association

External links

Painting of Governor Mouton's homeState of Louisiana - BiographyCemetery Memorial
by La-Cemeteries {{DEFAULTSORT:Mouton, Alexandre 1804 births 1885 deaths Acadian people American people of Acadian descent Acadian history Cajun people Democratic Party governors of Louisiana Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives 1828 United States presidential electors 1832 United States presidential electors 1836 United States presidential electors American Roman Catholics Georgetown University alumni Democratic Party United States senators from Louisiana Louisiana Jacksonians