David P. Lewis (born David Peter Lewis; May 18, 1820 – July 3, 1884) was a lawyer and politician who served as the
23rd governor of Alabama from 1872 to 1874 during the
Reconstruction era. He was also a Deputy from
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
to the
Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, also known as the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a congress of Deputy (legislator), deputies and Delegate (American politics), delegates called together from th ...
, serving from February until April 1861, when he resigned from office. He was a Unionist. He was the last Republican to serve as Governor of Alabama until
H. Guy Hunt was elected in 1986.
Biography
In 1861, David P. Lewis was a Deputy to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, representing the state of Alabama.
In 1868, he was a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention. In 1869, he joined the Republican Party. As a well-known
North Alabama
North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Associ ...
Unionist who nevertheless did support the
Confederacy, he was an attractive candidate for governor and won decisively over
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Thomas Herndon. The
1872 election was highly controversial and conflicting election returns resulted in the seating of two different legislatures controlled by each party. During his term unsuccessful attempts were made to pass
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...
legislation which would have barred discrimination on common carriers and in hotels, schools, and theaters. The impact of the
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the ...
as well as the civil rights controversies led to Lewis' defeat in
1874. Lewis later unsuccessfully sought an appointment to the federal bench. Disillusioned by politics, he returned to the practice of law in
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
, where he is interred at
Maple Hill Cemetery. He never married and died at age 64 in Huntsville, Alabama.
See also
*
List of governors of Alabama
References
External links
*
David P. Lewisat
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
David P. Lewisat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...
1820 births
1884 deaths
19th-century American politicians
Alabama lawyers
Alabama Secession Delegates of 1861
Alabama Unionists
Burials in Alabama
Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
People of Alabama in the American Civil War
Republican Party governors of Alabama
Signers of the Confederate States Constitution
Signers of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States
19th-century American lawyers
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