Thomas McKnight (Iowa pioneer): Difference between revisions

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Thomas McKnight (March 10, 1787 – December 1, 1865) was an American pioneer, businessman, and politician who settled in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Augusta County, Virginia, McKnight was a merchant in Nashville, Tennessee, and then in St. Louis, Missouri. While in St. Louis, McKnight was president of a bank and served on the St. Louis City Council in 1822. He then moved to Galena, Illinois, where he was involved in the lead mining industry. In 1838, McKnight was appointed land receiver for the United States Land Office for the Galena mining district. Eventually, he moved to Dubuque County, in the Iowa District of Wisconsin Territory. McKnight served in the first Wisconsin Territorial Council (upper house) of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature [at the same time as the Thomas McKnight from Mineral Point served in the House of Representatives (the lower house)], which would hold three sessions between October 25, 1836 and June 25, 1838.

He opened the first smelting furnace business in Dubuque. In the 1840 Federal census, he stated that he held two slaves in Dubuque County, in spite of the fact that slavery was not legal under the Northwest Ordinance.^[1] In 1846, he was the Whig candidate for Governor of Iowa against Democrat Ansel Briggs, but lost with 7,379 votes to Briggs' 7,626. In 1847, he was the Whig candidate for Iowa's 2nd congressional district, but lost to Democrat Shepherd Leffler with 48.58% of the vote to Leffler's 51.43%.

McKnight died in Dubuque.^[2]^[3]

Notes

^ Lehman, Christopher P. Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865: A History of Human Bondage in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2014; p. 102
^ 'The History of Dubuque County,' Western History Publishing 1880, Biographical Sketch of Thomas McKnight, pg. 975
^ History of Iowa

External links

Thomas McKnight, Dubuque Encyclopedia

Party political offices
First	Whig nominee Governor of Iowa 1846	Succeeded by James L. Thompson

This article about a Wisconsin politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about an Iowa politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Lehman, Christopher P. Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865: A History of Human Bondage in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2014; p. 102

[2] 'The History of Dubuque County,' Western History Publishing 1880, Biographical Sketch of Thomas McKnight, pg. 975

[3] History of Iowa

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American politician}}
-'''Thomas McKnight''' (March 10, 1787 &ndash; December 1, 1865) was an [[United States|American]] pioneer, businessman, and politician who settled in [[Dubuque, Iowa]], [[Iowa]].
+{{Other people|Thomas McKnight}}
+'''Thomas McKnight''' (March 10, 1787 &ndash; December 1, 1865) was an American pioneer, businessman, and politician who settled in [[Dubuque, Iowa|Dubuque]], [[Iowa]].
-Born in [[Augusta County, Virginia]], McKnight was a merchant in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] and then in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. While in St. Louis, McKnight was president of a bank and served on the St. Louis City Council in 1822. He then moved to [[Galena, Illinois]], where he was involved in the lead mining industry. McKnight was appointed land receiver for the United States Land Office for the Galena mining district. Eventually, he moved to [[Dubuque County, Iowa|Dubuque County]], [[Wisconsin Territory]]. In 1836, McKnight served in the first [[1st Wisconsin Territorial Legislature|Wisconsin Territorial Council of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature]]. He opened the first [[smelting]] furnace business in Dubuque, Iowa.
+Born in [[Augusta County, Virginia]], McKnight was a merchant in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], and then in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. While in St. Louis, McKnight was president of a bank and served on the St. Louis City Council in 1822. He then moved to [[Galena, Illinois]], where he was involved in the lead mining industry. In 1838, McKnight was appointed land receiver for the United States Land Office for the Galena mining district. Eventually, he moved to [[Dubuque County, Iowa|Dubuque County]], in the [[Iowa District]] of [[Wisconsin Territory]]. McKnight served in the first [[1st Wisconsin Territorial Assembly|Wisconsin Territorial Council (upper house) of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature]] [at the same time as [[Thomas McKnight (Wisconsin pioneer)|the Thomas McKnight from Mineral Point]] served in the House of Representatives (the [[lower house]])], which would hold three sessions between October 25, 1836 and June 25, 1838.
-In the 1840 Federal census, he stated that he held two slaves in [[Dubuque County, Iowa|Dubuque County]], in spite of the fact that slavery was not legal under the [[Northwest Ordinance]].<ref>Lehman, Christopher P. ''Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865: A History of Human Bondage in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2014; p. 102</ref> In 1846, he ran for [[Governor of Iowa]] against [[Ansel Briggs]], but lost the election. McKnight died in Dubuque.<ref>'The History of Dubuque County,' Western History Publishing 1880, Biographical Sketch of Thomas McKnight, pg. 975</ref><ref>[http://freepages.books.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cooverfamily/western_9.html History of Iowa]</ref>
+He opened the first [[smelting]] furnace business in Dubuque. In the 1840 Federal census, he stated that he held two slaves in [[Dubuque County, Iowa|Dubuque County]], in spite of the fact that slavery was not legal under the [[Northwest Ordinance]].<ref>Lehman, Christopher P. ''Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865: A History of Human Bondage in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2014; p. 102</ref> In 1846, he was the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] candidate for [[Governor of Iowa]] against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Ansel Briggs]], but lost with 7,379 votes to Briggs' 7,626. In 1847, he was the Whig candidate for [[Iowa's 2nd congressional district]], but lost to Democrat [[Shepherd Leffler]] with 48.58% of the vote to Leffler's 51.43%.
+McKnight died in Dubuque.<ref>'The History of Dubuque County,' Western History Publishing 1880, Biographical Sketch of Thomas McKnight, pg. 975</ref><ref>[http://freepages.books.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cooverfamily/western_9.html History of Iowa]</ref>
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 11: / Line 16: @@
 *[http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=MCKNIGHT%2C_Thomas Thomas McKnight, Dubuque Encyclopedia]
+{{s-start}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Macknight, Thomas}}
+{{s-ppo}}
+{{s-new|first}}
+{{s-ttl|title=[[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] nominee [[List of Governors of Iowa|Governor of Iowa]]|years=[[1846 Iowa gubernatorial election|1846]]}}
+{{s-aft|after=James L. Thompson}}
+{{s-end}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Macknight, Thomas (Dubuque)}}
 [[Category:1787 births]]
 [[Category:1865 deaths]]
@@ Line 21: / Line 33: @@
 [[Category:Members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen]]
 [[Category:Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature]]
-[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
 [[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
+[[Category:Iowa Whigs]]
+{{Wisconsin-politician-stub}}
 {{Iowa-politician-stub}}