John Floyd
Congressman and Governor of Virginia
Died when: 54 years 115 days (651 months)Star Sign: Taurus
John Floyd (April 24, 1783 – August 17, 1837) was a Virginia politician and soldier.He represented Virginia in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 25th Governor of Virginia.
During his career in the House of Representatives, Floyd was an advocate of settling the Oregon Country, unsuccessfully arguing on its behalf from 1820 until he left Congress in 1829; the area did not become a territory of the United States until 1848.
During the 1832 presidential election Floyd was selected by John C.Calhoun to serve as the Nullifier Party's candidate.The state legislature of South Carolina voted to give the state's eleven electoral votes to Floyd.
While governor of Virginia, the Nat Turner slave rebellion occurred.Although Floyd was an outspoken advocate for state's rights, he supported the gradual abolition of slavery on account of its inefficiency.
His term as governor oversaw a period of economic prosperity for the state.
