Robert Hamilton McWhorta Davidson (September 23, 1832 – January 18, 1908) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Biography

Born near

Quincy, Florida Quincy is a city in and the county seat of Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,972 at the 2010 census, up from 6,982 at the 2000 census. Quincy is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area. History Established in 1828, ...

, Davidson attended the common schools and the Quincy Academy in

. He studied law at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1853 and commenced practice in

. He served as member of the State house of representatives 1856-1859. He served in the State senate 1860-1862. He retired from the State senate in 1862 and served during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

as captain of Infantry and later with rank of lieutenant colonel. He served as member of the State constitutional convention in 1865. Davidson was elected as a

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 ...

to the Forty-fifth and to the six succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1891). He served as chairman of the Committee on Railways and Canals ( Forty-eighth through Fiftieth Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1890 to the Fifty-second Congress. He served as member of the State railroad commission in 1897 and 1898. Also member of the Florida Public Service Commission (July 1, 1897 - January 3, 1899). He engaged in the practice of his profession until his death in

, January 18, 1908. He was interred in Western Cemetery.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Robert Hamilton McWhorta 1832 births 1908 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida People of Florida in the American Civil War People from Quincy, Florida University of Virginia School of Law alumni Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Democratic Party Florida state senators 19th-century American politicians