William Pope Duval (September 4, 1784 – March 19, 1854) was the first civilian governor of the

Florida Territory The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the state of Florida. Originally the major portion of the Spanish ...

, succeeding

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, who had been a military governor. In his twelve-year governorship, from 1822 to 1834, he divided Florida into four territories, established the local court system, and chose

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

as the territory's capital because of its central location. Duval County, where

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

is located, Duval Street in

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

, and Duval Street in

are named for him.

Early life

William Duval was born to Major William Duval and Ann Pope in "Mansfield," Henrico County, Virginia (near present-day

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

). At the age of 14, he left home and struck out on his own, settling in

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...

. He began to study law and was admitted to the bar at age 19, in 1804. On October 3, 1804 (then 20), he married Nancy Hynes, daughter of Colonel Andrew Hynes, in Bardstown.

Congressional service

During an outbreak of Indian hostilities in 1812, Duval was given command of a company of mounted volunteers. This service and his law experience helped to win him election to the 13th Congress of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1812. He served as a representative from the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

in the new 10th Congressional District of Kentucky until 1815, when he did not seek re-election. He returned to

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and continued to practice law.

Territory of Florida

In 1821, Florida became a U.S. territory. Duval was named U.S. Judge for the East Florida district on May 18, 1821. On April 17, 1822,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

appointed him as the first non-military governor of the territory, succeeding Gen. Andrew Jackson. In addition, Most Worshipful William Pope Duval was elected the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Florida, Free and Accepted Masons in 1830. He was reappointed by presidents

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

and

. During his twelve-year administration, he selected the small Indian village of

as the site for the territory's

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

, on account of its (north) central location. He was also known for his peaceful dealings with the Native Americans. He signed the first act of legislation in the

Territory of Florida The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the state of Florida. Originally the major portion of the Spanish te ...

, dividing it into four sections and establishing the local court system.

Post-governorship

Duval continued to live in Florida for a number of years,

practicing law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

. His former mansion burned in 1905, and the site now houses the

Carnegie Library at FAMU The Carnegie Library at FAMU is a historic building on the campus of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. Built in 1908, the two-story, white-columned building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. "It was part ...

. He moved to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in 1848. He and his wife had eight children, many of whom began families in Texas. All three of his sons were distinguished Texans: Burr Harrison Duval,

Thomas Howard DuVal Thomas Howard DuVal (November 4, 1813 – October 10, 1880) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Education and career Born November 4, 1813, in Buckingham County, Virginia, ...

, and John Crittenden Duval. Thomas' daughter,

Florence Duval West Florence Duval West (September 1, 1840 – November 22, 1881) was a 19th-century American poet. Her published works include ''The Land of the Lotus Eaters'', and ''The Marble Lily and Other Poems''. As a letter writer, she had few, if any equals. ...

, was a poet. William Pope Duval died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

; his remains were interred at the

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...

Legacy

* Duval County, Florida, was named for him. *

Duval County, Texas Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 9,831. The county seat is San Diego. The county was founded in 1858 and later organized in 1876. It is named for Burr H. Duval, a soldier in ...

, was named for his son, Captain

Burr H. Duval Burr Harrison Duval (1809 – March 27, 1836) was the commander of the Kentucky Mustangs, First Regiment Volunteers, a group of Kentucky long-riflemen formed in Bardstown, Kentucky, in November 1835 during the Texas Revolution. He and hundreds of o ...

. *The

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

was named in his honor. There are many roads in Florida named after him, the most well-known being

Duval Street Duval Street () is a downtown commercial zoned street in Key West, Florida, running north and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, just over 1.25 miles in length. It is named for William Pope Duval, the first territorial gove ...

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

Notes

External links

Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida

Territorial Governor Duval's Message to Legislative Council, 1822
The message is in Duval's own handwriting; from the State Library and Archives of Florida. * *
William Pope Duval
in the ''

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

Online'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duval, William P. Governors of Florida Territory Burials at the Congressional Cemetery 1784 births 1854 deaths Members of the Florida Territorial Legislature Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law People from Henrico County, Virginia American slave owners