John Martin (January 1786) was an American planter, soldier, and politician.

Early life

Little is known of Martin's early life. He was born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

and moved to St. Philip's Parish,

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

in 1767 with his brother James, where they bought adjoining plantations.

Revolutionary War

Martin was active during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, serving as a delegate to the provincial congress in July 1775, as well as a member of the local Committee of Safety. In the

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List o ...

he was appointed lieutenant of the 7th company of the Georgia Regiment in the Continental Army in January 1776, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1777. He was made lieutenant colonel for Chatham County in 1781.

Political life

His political service includes

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

(1778), sheriff of Chatham County, Georgia, member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...

, state

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

, and revolutionary governor of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

from 1782 to 1783. Martin took the office of governor on January 2, 1782, from Sir James Wright, who said, "The rebel Governor Martin, now at Ebenezer, has issued three proclamations, one to the King’s troops, one to the Hessians, and another to the militia, inviting them all to revolt and join the virtuous Americans against the tyranny of the British government." Wright also referred to Martin as "Black Jack from the Northward." When Martin began his term as governor, the British held Savannah as part of the southern theater of the American Revolution which, though near an end, was still being fought in Georgia. Martin wrote to

General Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

, "Nothing but the present deplorable situation of this country, & the starving condition of the greatest part of the inhabitants, many of whom have not tasted bread kind for more than a month past, could have induced me to trouble your Excellency on this occasion; but impressed with the idea that our distresses, which have been owing to the accumulated horrors of war this country has experienced for this four years past, might entitle us to hope for some small relief for the present from our sister State, has encouraged me to make this application." During Martin's term as governor, Georgia adopted several important laws and proclamations. He offered protection to citizens from Creek and

Seminole Indians The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

, preferring to fight over peace. Martin declared that Georgians would not hesitate "a moment respecting which you would prefer--the sword, or olive branch." He offered full pardons to all

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

who surrendered to General Wayne, as well as offering land to Hessians who left the British. These actions increased desertions from the British forces. With Georgia in a state of financial ruin at the end of the war, he also passed a Confiscation and Banishment Act in 1782 which seized the property of 342 Loyalists identified by name. Regarding the Revolutionary War in Georgia, Martin wrote on January 11, 1782: "It is true, this war has made us poor, and we are not ashamed to own it; because our cause is just; but we shall soon be rich and happy." Georgia then retook Savannah from the British on July 11, 1782, and the Revolutionary War in Georgia came to an end. On January 9, 1783,

Lyman Hall Lyman Hall (April 12, 1724 – October 19, 1790) was an American Founding Father, physician, clergyman, and statesman who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Hall County is named after him. He ...

was elected governor, and Martin's term as governor of Georgia ended. After the war, Martin served as a commissioner in meetings with Creek and Cherokee Indians. He negotiated for the assistance of the governor of

British Florida The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. They left behind artifacts and archeological evidence. Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Euro ...

in stopping the bands of plunderers, and he worked to restore peace with the Creek Indians. On January 31, 1783, Martin was elected treasurer of the state, a position he held until his retirement on March 17, 1784.

Death and legacy

The Georgia Gazette of February 2, 1786, contained this record: "Last week died, on his way to the Westward, whither he was bound for the recovery of his health, the Hon. John Martin, Esq." The town of

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

, in Stephens County, is named in his honor.

Early life

Revolutionary War

Political life

Death and legacy

References

Further reading