Robert P. Letcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 16th United States Ambassador to Mexico | |
| In office 1849–1852 | |
| President | Zachary Taylor |
| Preceded by | Nathan Clifford |
| Succeeded by | Robert Greenhow |
| 15th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office September 2, 1840 – September 4, 1844 | |
| Lieutenant | Manlius Valerius Thomson |
| Preceded by | Charles A. Wickliffe |
| Succeeded by | William Owsley |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1833 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
| Succeeded by | Martin Beaty |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 5th district | |
| In office August 6, 1834 – March 3, 1835 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Mentor Johnson |
| Succeeded by | James Harlan |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
| In office 1813–1815 1817–1821 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 10, 1788 Goochland County, Virginia, US |
| Died | January 24, 1861 (aged 72) Frankfort, Kentucky, US |
| Resting place | Frankfort Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic Republican, National Republican Party, Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Oden Epps Charlotte Robertson |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Robert Perkins Letcher (February 10, 1788 – January 24, 1861) was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly where he was Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838. A strong supporter of the Whig Party, he was a friend of Henry Clay and John J. Crittenden.
Letcher's family came to Kentucky around 1800. Letcher attended the private academy of Joshua Fry, then studied law. He was briefly a judge advocate in John Allen's volunteer militia during the War of 1812. He began his political career in 1813, representing Garrard County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. In 1823, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for more than a decade. During the 1824 presidential election, he acted as an intermediary between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. Adams' opponent, Andrew Jackson, charged that, through these negotiations, Clay agreed to support Adams for president in exchange for being named Secretary of State.
In 1840, Letcher was chosen as the Whig nominee for governor of Kentucky over William Owsley. In the general election, Letcher won by landslide over Judge Richard French. Letcher's fiscally conservative policies helped Kentucky recover from the financial Panic of 1837. By the end of his term, the state was experiencing budget surpluses and state banks had resumed specie payments. After Letcher left office, he was appointed Minister to Mexico by President Zachary Taylor. Following this, he made an attempt to return to the U.S. House, but was defeated by Democrat John C. Breckinridge. Letcher's defeat in Henry Clay's home district was a strong indication of the decline of Whig influence in Kentucky. Though he remained active in politics, Letcher never again sought public office. He died on January 24, 1861, at the age of seventy-two.