James Hamilton Couper (March 5, 1794 – July 3, 1866) was an American planter and slaver who at his peak controlled more than 1,500 slaves.Bagwell, James (2002). ''Rice Gold: James Hamilton Couper and Plantation Life on the Georgia Coast''. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press. 193 pp. .

Biography

Couper was born at

Sunbury, Georgia Sunbury is a ghost town in Liberty County, Georgia. Established in 1758, the town was mostly abandoned by the mid-1800s. The town is located on the south bank of the Midway River, in an area that was first settled by Europeans in the 1750s. Th ...

, March 5, 1794. He joined the sophomore class in

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

, in 1811, from St. Mary's College, Baltimore, and graduated in 1814. After his graduation he returned home, and in 1815 made a voyage to Europe for purposes of study and travel. On his return he became a planter, and in this occupation his life was mostly spent. His plantations attracted the especial notice of travelers, among others of Sir

Charles Lyell Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known as the author of ''Principles of Geolo ...

. He labored, not without success, to improve the cultivation of cotton and rice. The experiment of pressing oil from cotton seed, in which he engaged, he abandoned after a year's trial. He was one of the contractors in the construction of the Brunswick Canal. Couper was aboard the ''Pulaski'' steamer in June 1838 when its boiler exploded. He was one of only 59 to survive the wreck. Couper was a man of varied culture, and Christ Church in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, planned by him, is a monument of his taste and skill in architecture. His library was among the most extensive of the private libraries in the South. He kept aloof from public life, and only on two occasions did he consent to take office. Once, when the office of

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

in his county had become difficult and dangerous, in consequence of the effort made to defeat the collection of debts, he accepted and executed it. Again, as a delegate to the Convention called in Georgia during the excitement on the question of

Nullification Nullification may refer to: * Nullification (U.S. Constitution), a legal theory that a state has the right to nullify any federal law deemed unconstitutional with respect to the United States Constitution * Nullification Crisis, the 1832 confront ...

, he helped to defeat the plan of disunion. So, too, he was opposed to the more recent movement for

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 ...

, and during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

lived in the closest seclusion. He married, shortly after his return from Europe, Miss Wylly, a lady of his neighborhood, who with two daughters and three sons survived him. His son Hamilton Couper (1829–1862) died of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

. Couper died at his temporary residence Carteret's Point, Ga., July 3, 1866, aged 72 years.

Legacy

Couper is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of North American snake, ''

Drymarchon couperi The eastern indigo snake (''Drymarchon couperi'') is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. Native to the southeastern region of the United States, it is the longest native snake species in North America. Taxonomy an ...

''. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Couper, J. H.", p. 60).

References

External links

Hopeton-on-the-Altamaha
historical marker
Hamilton Plantation
historical marker * {{DEFAULTSORT:Couper, James Hamilton 1794 births 1866 deaths People from Liberty County, Georgia Yale College alumni American slave owners

Biography

Legacy

See also

References

External links