John J. Crittenden | |
|---|---|
 Crittenden in 1857 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 8th district | |
| In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | William E. Simms |
| Succeeded by | William H. Randall |
| United States Senator from Kentucky | |
| In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Archibald Dixon |
| Succeeded by | John C. Breckinridge |
| In office March 31, 1842 – June 12, 1848 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Clay |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
| In office March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1841 | |
| Preceded by | George M. Bibb |
| Succeeded by | James Morehead |
| In office March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819 | |
| Preceded by | Martin D. Hardin |
| Succeeded by | Richard Mentor Johnson |
| 15th and 22nd United States Attorney General | |
| In office July 22, 1850 – March 4, 1853 | |
| President | Millard Fillmore |
| Preceded by | Reverdy Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Caleb Cushing |
| In office March 5, 1841 – September 12, 1841 | |
| President | William Henry Harrison John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Henry D. Gilpin |
| Succeeded by | Hugh S. Legaré |
| 17th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office September 6, 1848 – July 31, 1850 | |
| Lieutenant | John L. Helm |
| Preceded by | William Owsley |
| Succeeded by | John L. Helm |
| 22nd Secretary of State of Kentucky | |
| In office April 1834 – February 4, 1835 | |
| Governor | James Morehead |
| Preceded by | Lewis Sanders Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Owsley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Jordan Crittenden September 10, 1787 Versailles, Virginia (now part of Kentucky), U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 1863 (aged 75) Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Resting place | Frankfort Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican (before 1825) National Republican (1825–1830) Whig (1830–1856) American (1856–1859) Constitutional Union (1859–1861) Union Democratic (1861–1863) |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Lee Maria Knox Todd Elizabeth Moss |
| Education | Washington and Lee University College of William and Mary (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Kentucky Militia |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
John Jordan Crittenden (September 10, 1787 – July 26, 1863) was an American statesman and politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. He was also the 17th governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislature. Although frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the U.S. presidency, he never consented to run for the office.
During his early political career, Crittenden served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and was chosen as speaker on several occasions. With the advent of the Second Party System, he allied with the National Republican (later Whig) Party and was a fervent supporter of, and eventually a protege of Henry Clay and opponent of Democrats Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.
Lame duck president John Quincy Adams nominated Crittenden to the U.S. Supreme Court on December 17, 1828, but senators who supported president-elect Jackson voted to postpone confirmation until Jackson could nominate his own man. After his brief service as Kentucky secretary of state, the state legislature elected Crittenden to the second of his four non-consecutive stints in the U.S. Senate. Upon his election as president, William Henry Harrison appointed Crittenden as Attorney General, but five months after Harrison's death, political differences prompted him to resign rather than continue his service under Harrison's successor, John Tyler.
He was returned to the Senate in 1842, serving until 1848, when he resigned to run for governor, hoping his election would help Zachary Taylor win Kentucky's vote in the 1848 presidential election. Taylor was elected, but Crittenden refused a post in his cabinet, fearing he would be charged with making a "corrupt bargain", as Clay had been in 1825. Following Taylor's death in 1850, Crittenden resigned the governorship and accepted Millard Fillmore's appointment as attorney general.
As the Whig Party crumbled in the mid-1850s, Crittenden joined the Know Nothing (or American) Party. After the expiration of his term as attorney general, he was again elected to the U.S. Senate, where he urged compromise on the issue of slavery to prevent the breakup of the United States. As bitter partisanship increased the threat of secession, Crittenden sought out moderates from all parties and formed the Constitutional Union Party, though he refused the party's nomination for president in the 1860 election. In December 1860, he authored the Crittenden Compromise, a series of resolutions and constitutional amendments he hoped would avert the Civil War, but Congress would not approve them.