Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 Prisoner of War during 37th U.S. Congress | |
| Preceded by | Albert Galiton Watkins |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel Green Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 19, 1812 Roane County, Tennessee, U.S.[1] |
| Died | August 24, 1873 (aged 61) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Old Gray Cemetery Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig Party Opposition Party Union Party Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Stuart Mary Jones[2] |
| Children | 11[3] |
| Alma mater | East Tennessee College[2] |
| Profession | Attorney, Politician, Judge |
Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson[4] (March 19, 1812 – August 24, 1873) was an American attorney, politician, and judge, active primarily in East Tennessee during the mid-19th century. He represented Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 36th U.S. Congress (1859–1861), where he gained a reputation as a staunch pro-Union southerner. He was elected to a second term in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War, but was arrested by Confederate authorities before he could take his seat.
As early as the 1830s, Nelson had gained a reputation as an effective Whig Party campaigner, but due to family considerations, he did not run for office until 1859. In December of that year, Nelson gained international renown for an explosive anti-secession speech he delivered before Congress. As president of the East Tennessee Convention, Nelson campaigned to keep Tennessee in the Union, but maintained a neutral position after his arrest.
After the war, Nelson opposed the radical initiatives of his long-time friend, Governor William G. Brownlow, and used his position on the state supreme court to overturn many of Brownlow's policies.[1] Nelson served on the defense team of President Andrew Johnson during Johnson's impeachment trial in 1868, and was elected to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1870.[1]
- ^ a b c Thomas Alexander, "Strange Bedfellows: The Interlocking Careers of T.A.R. Nelson, Andrew Johnson, and W.G. (Parson) Brownlow," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, No. 24 (1952), pp. 68-91.
- ^ a b East Tennessee Historical Society, Mary Rothrock (ed.), The French Broad-Holston Country: A History of Knox County, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1972), pp. 462-463.
- ^ Thomas Alexander, Thomas A. R. Nelson of East Tennessee (Nashville: Tennessee Historical Commission, 1956), pp. 1, 18, 142.
- ^ Some sources spell Nelson's second name "Amis" (Rothrock, pp. 392-393; Alexander, p. 1).