Jared Irwin

For the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, see Jared Irwin (Pennsylvania).

Jared Irwin (1750 – March 1, 1818) served twice as elected Governor of Georgia (1796–1798) and (1806–1809). He first was elected to office as a reformer based on public outrage about the Yazoo land scandal. He signed a bill that nullified the Yazoo Act, which had authorized the land sales. Challenges to land claims purchased under the former act led to the United States Supreme Court's hearing the case Fletcher v. Peck (1810). In a landmark decision, the Court upheld the land contracts, and ruled that the state law was unconstitutional in trying to nullify valid contracts.

Early life and education

Jared Irwin was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in the Piedmont region. His family moved to Burke County, Georgia when he was young.

Career

Irwin fought in the American Revolution, in which he entered the army as a private. During the war, he demonstrated leadership and was promoted to the rank of colonel.

He was a member of the state convention that adopted the Constitution of 1789.

Soon after the end of the war, Georgia and other states rapidly tried to develop their frontier lands. It was an environment ripe for scandal and speculation, which took place in Georgia and other states. Because of public outrage about millions of acres of state lands' being sold for low prices to insider speculators, Irwin was elected Governor in 1795 to clean up the Yazoo land scandal. On February 13, 1796, less than two months after taking office, Irwin signed the bill nullifying the Yazoo Act. To make a public statement, he burned a copy of the Yazoo Act on the grounds of the capital.^[1] The legislature had just moved the capital to Louisville in response to the scandal.

During his second term, Irwin administered the state's second land lottery, as land sales and development were still a priority for the state.

In September 1794, 1,200 Georgia militiamen, led by General Irwin acting in conjunction with federal troops stationed on the Oconee, surrounded and isolated General Elijah Clarke's fortifications on the Oconee called the Trans-Oconee Republic.^[2] After some negotiation, Clarke agreed to surrender, provided that he and his men would not face prosecution for their actions. Clarke and his followers departed, and the militia burned down the new settlements and fortifications.

Irwin died at the age of 68. A resident of Washington County, Irwin was buried near Ohoopee Baptist Church.

Legacy

The towns of Irwinville and Irwinton, and the county of Irwin^[3] were named after him.

References

↑ Warren, C. H. ""Burning of the Yazoo Act," 1914". Georgia Historical Society. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
↑ Kokomoor, Kevin (November 2015). "Creeks, Federalists, and the Idea of Coexistence in the Early Republic". Journal of Southern History. 81 (4): 830. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 166.

Political offices
Preceded by George Mathews	Governor of Georgia 1796–1798	Succeeded by James Jackson
Preceded by John Milledge	Governor of Georgia 1806–1809	Succeeded by David B. Mitchell

External links

Governors of Georgia

Council Presidents (1775–76)	Ewen Walton Ewen

Presidents (1776–77)	Bulloch Gwinnett

Governors (since 1777)	Treutlen Houstoun Glascock Cuthbert Wereat Walton Howly Wells Heard Davies Brownson Martin Hall Houstoun Elbert Telfair Mathews Handley Walton Telfair Mathews Irwin Jackson Emanuel Tattnall Milledge Irwin Mitchell Early Mitchell Rabun Talbot Clark Troup Forsyth Gilmer Lumpkin Schley Gilmer McDonald Crawford Towns Cobb H. Johnson J. E. Brown J. Johnson Jenkins Ruger Bullock Conley J. Smith Colquitt Stephens Boynton McDaniel Gordon Northen Atkinson Candler Terrell H. Smith J. M. Brown H. Smith Slaton J.M. Brown Slaton N. Harris Dorsey Hardwick Walker Hardman Russell E. Talmadge Rivers E. Talmadge Arnall Thompson H. Talmadge Griffin Vandiver Sanders Maddox Carter Busbee J. F. Harris Miller Barnes Perdue Deal

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