Ninian Edwards

Ninian Edwards
3rd Governor of Illinois
In office December 6, 1826 – December 6, 1830
Lieutenant	William Kinney
Preceded by	Edward Coles
Succeeded by	John Reynolds
United States Senator from Illinois
In office December 3, 1818 – March 4, 1824
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	John McLean
Governor of Illinois Territory
In office June 11, 1809 – October 6, 1818
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished Shadrach Bond as Governor of Illinois
Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
In office 1806–1809
Preceded by	Thomas Todd
Succeeded by	John Boyle
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office 1794
Personal details
Born	(1775-03-17)March 17, 1775 Montgomery County, Maryland, British America
Died	July 20, 1833(1833-07-20) (aged 58) Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Elvira Lane
Children	Ninian, Albert, Benjamin, Julia
Relatives	Cyrus Edwards (brother)
Signature

Ninian Edwards (March 17, 1775 – July 20, 1833) was an American political figure who was prominent in Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to until the territory earned statehood in 1818. He was then one of the first two United States senators from the State of Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830. In a time and place where personal coalitions were more influential than parties, Edwards led one of the two main factions in frontier Illinois politics.^[1]

Born in Maryland, Edwards began his political career in Kentucky, where he served as a legislator and judge. He rose to the position of Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1808, at the time Kentucky's highest court. In 1809, U.S. President James Madison appointed him to govern the newly created Illinois Territory. He held that post for three terms, overseeing the territory's transition first to democratic "second grade" government, and then to statehood in 1818. On its second day in session, the Illinois General Assembly elected Edwards to the U.S. Senate, where conflict with rivals damaged him politically.^[2]

Edwards won an unlikely 1826 election to become Governor of Illinois.^[3] Conflict with the legislature over state bank regulations marked Edwards' administration, as did the pursuit of Indian removal. As governor or territorial governor he twice sent Illinois militia against Native Americans, in the War of 1812 and the Winnebago War, and signed treaties for the cession of Native American land. Edwards returned to private life when his term ended in 1830 and died of cholera two years later.