William Dunn Moseley
William Dunn Moseley | |
|---|---|
Governor of Florida | |
| In office June 25, 1845 – October 1, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | John Branch (as the Governor of Florida Territory) |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Brown |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate | |
| In office 1829-1837 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1, 1795 Lenoir County, North Carolina |
| Died | January 4, 1863 (aged 67) Palatka, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Hill Moseley (Widowed by time in office) |
| Signature |  |
William Dunn Moseley (February 1, 1795 – January 4, 1863) was an
, serving from 1845 until 1849 and leading the establishment of the state government.Early life and education
William Dunn Moseley was born on February 1, 1795, at Moseley Hall in
Moseley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1818. He was of entirely English ancestry, all of which had been in America since the days of the original thirteen colonies.[1] He received his master's degree from UNC in 1821. While at the university, Moseley was the roommate of future president James K. Polk.[2]
Marriage and family
In 1822, Moseley married Susan Hill; the couple had six children: William Green Moseley, Elizabeth H. Moseley, Susan Hill Moseley, Alice Hill Moseley, Alexander Moseley, and Matthew Moseley.[3] Susan Hill Moseley died in March 1842, after the Moseleys moved to Florida.[4]
Career
In 1817, Moseley became a tutor at the university. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar and began practice in Wilmington. Like many lawyers of the time, law was not his only profession; Moseley also farmed and was a schoolteacher.
From 1829 to 1837, Moseley represented
In 1835, Moseley and his family moved to Lake Miccosukee in Jefferson County, Florida, after purchasing a plantation there. In 1840, Moseley was elected to the territorial House of Representatives. In 1844, he won a seat in the territorial Senate. On March 3, 1845, Florida was admitted as the twenty-seventh state of the Union.
Later in 1845, in the first statewide election, Moseley won the election for governor of Florida. He beat Richard Keith Call, who had been the governor of Florida Territory, making Moseley the first governor of the state of Florida. Moseley was sworn in on June 25, 1845. During his term, he established the new state government. The state Capitol building was completed during his first year in office. Moseley oversaw the state's role in the Mexican–American War. Southern states supported the war with troops as they saw it as an opportunity to gain territory where slavery could be used.
Moseley worked to resolve conflicts between white settlers and
Moseley was a strong supporter of
Constitutionally limited to a single term, Moseley returned to his plantation after ending his term on October 1, 1849. Two years later, he settled in the town of Palatka in Putnam County, where he operated a citrus grove. Moseley died on January 4, 1863, and was buried at the West View Cemetery in Palatka.
After his death, his daughters commissioned a portrait to be painted from a daguerreotype. They presented the portrait to be hung in a state portrait gallery at the Florida
References
- ^ First governors of the forty-eight states Clarence Stewart Peterson page 65
- ISBN 978-1-4000-6560-8.
- ISBN 9780813066240.
- ISBN 9780813066240.
External links
- Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
- William Dunn Moseley at Find a Grave
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| Territorial (1822–1845) | ||
| State (since 1845) |
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