William Melville Alexander (Illinois politician)

William Melville Alexander was an American politician, physician, and land speculator active in Illinois.[1]

In 1817, Alexander laid out a settlement on behalf of a Cincinnati-based land company. The settlement, America, Illinois, was envisioned as a major city and possibly even an inland capital for the United States. The ambitious goals of the project were never realized.[2] He was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1820 and reelected in 1822.[3] In his second term, he was elected Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives by his colleagues.[1]

In the 1824 United States presidential election, Alexander was an elector pledged to William H. Crawford.[4] That same year, he ran for an appointment from the Illinois General Assembly to the United States Senate to succeed Ninian Edwards. Alexander lost to John McLean.[5]

After a series of failed land ventures in Illinois, he moved to the Southern United States where he died.[1] He is the namesake of Alexander County, Illinois.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b c Redmond, Mary (1980). Mr. Speaker: Presiding Officers of the Illinois House of Representatives 1818-1980. Office of the Speaker of the House. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Callary, Edward (October 2010). Place Names of Illinois. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780252090707. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Emmerson, Louis L., ed. (1919). "Members of General Assembly 1818 to 1920 Inclusive". Illinois Blue Book 1919-1920. State of Illinois. p. 525. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Lampi, Philip J., ed. (January 11, 2012). "Illinois 1824 Electoral College, District 3". A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825. Tufts University. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Meese, William A. "Nathaniel Pope". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 3 (4): 20. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  6. ^ Callary, Edward (October 2010). Place Names of Illinois. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 4. ISBN 9780252090707. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  7. ^ Curry Aiken, Charles; Kane, Joseph Nathan (21 December 2012). The American Counties: Origins of County Names, Dates of Creation, Area, and Population Data, 1950-2010. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 5. ISBN 9780810887626. Retrieved September 12, 2022.