John Davis (Massachusetts governor)

John Davis
Daguerreotype by Mathew Brady, March 1849
United States Senator
from Massachusetts
In office
March 4, 1835 – January 5, 1841
Preceded byNathaniel Silsbee
Succeeded byIsaac C. Bates
In office
March 24, 1845 – March 3, 1853
Preceded byIsaac C. Bates
Succeeded byEdward Everett
14th & 17th Governor of Massachusetts
In office
January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843
LieutenantGeorge Hull
Preceded byMarcus Morton
Succeeded byMarcus Morton
In office
January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835
LieutenantSamuel Turell Armstrong
Preceded byLevi Lincoln Jr.
Succeeded bySamuel Turell Armstrong (acting)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Massachusetts's 5th district
In office
March 4, 1825 – January 14, 1834
Preceded byJonas Sibley
Succeeded byLevi Lincoln Jr.
Personal details
Born(1787-01-13)January 13, 1787
Northborough, Massachusetts, US
DiedApril 19, 1854(1854-04-19) (aged 67)
Worcester, Massachusetts, US
Resting placeWorcester Rural Cemetery
Political partyWhig
Anti-Jackson
SpouseEliza Bancroft Davis
RelationsHenry Cabot Lodge Jr. (great-great grandson)
ChildrenJohn Chandler Bancroft Davis, Horace Davis
Alma materYale College
Occupationlawyer, politician
Signature

John Davis (January 13, 1787 – April 19, 1854) was an American lawyer, businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He spent 25 years in public service, serving in both houses of the United States Congress and for three non-consecutive years as Governor of Massachusetts. Because of his reputation for personal integrity he was known as "Honest John" Davis.

Born in Northborough, Massachusetts, Davis attended Yale College before studying law in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he established a successful law practice. He spent 10 years (1824–34) in the United States House of Representatives as a National Republican (later Whig), where he supported protectionist tariff legislation. He won election as Governor of Massachusetts in a three-way race in 1833 that was decided by the state legislature. After two terms he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served most of one term, resigning early in 1841 after he was once again elected governor.

His second term as governor was undistinguished, but he split with fellow Whig Daniel Webster over a variety of issues, and lost the 1843 election to Democrat Marcus Morton. He was reelected to the Senate in 1845, where he served until 1851. He opposed the Mexican–American War, and worked to prevent the extension of slavery to the territories, although he did not take a hard line on the matter, voting for most of the provisions of the Compromise of 1850. He retired from public service in 1853, and died the next year.