The Bourbon Triumvirate refers to three powerful and influential Georgia politicians, all members of the Democratic Party, in the post-Reconstruction Era: Joseph E. Brown, Alfred H. Colquitt, and John Brown Gordon. The three men occupied positions as Governor of Georgia and Senators from Georgia between 1872 and 1890 and exercised dominance over the state politics during this era, although the extent to which the three acted as a cohesive group has been debated.
The term "Bourbon" refers to rulers who are unable to adapt to new situations and who espouse ideas suited for former eras. [1] [2] In the late 1800s, it was applied to Bourbon Democrats who tried to reverse some of the effects of the Reconstruction Era. [2] The term triumvirate refers to a group of three individuals who exercise political control. [1]
The three men included in the triumvirate, Joseph E. Brown, Alfred H. Colquitt, and John Brown Gordon, were all well-established individuals during the American Civil War, with all three having had political or military experience prior to the Reconstruction Era. Brown, the oldest of the three, had served as the Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865. [3] Colquitt had served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855 and had sought the nomination of the Democratic Party for Governor in 1857, losing the nomination to Brown. [4] [5] Additionally, he had served as a member of the Georgia Secession Convention in 1861 and served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War, rising to the rank of major general. [6] Gordon, the only member of the triumvirate to not have held political office before the war, served in the Confederate States Army and, like Colquitt, rose to the rank of major general by the end of the war. [7] Gordon distinguished himself as a formidable leader, and was present at Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomatox Court House. [8]
Following the Confederate States of America's loss in the Civil War, the Southern United States underwent a period known as the Reconstruction Era, which saw an end to American slavery and the plantation system that dominated the South's economy. In the post-war South, the idea of the New South, a more industrialized and agriculturally diverse economy that still upheld white supremacy, took hold. Henry W. Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution , was a vocal proponent of the New South. [9] [10] Grady was an important part of the "Atlanta Ring" of prominent citizens who furthered these policies, which included fellow Atlanta Constitution editor Evan Howell and the three politicians who made up the Bourbon Triumvirate: Brown, Colquitt, and Gordon. [1]
The end of the Civil War saw an end to Brown's governorship and Colquitt and Gordon's resignation from military service. Brown briefly joined the Republican Party and was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, a post he would hold from 1865 to 1870. [11] Meanwhile, Colquitt returned to planting and became business partners with Gordon in a series of business ventures. [12] In 1868, Gordon ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Georgia. [8] However, several years later in 1872, (the year often used to note the start of the triumvirate) [1] he was elected to the United States Senate. [13] Despite his mixed record business record, [12] he was popular in promoting New South ideas and successfully employed the Lost Cause of the Confederacy to garner support. [1] [14] He was also regarded during this time as the leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia. [7] [14]
In 1876, Colquitt was elected Governor of Georgia. [12] He was seen as representing the interests of the established planters in the state, [15] as he had been one of the most successful planters in the state during this era and had served as Vice President of the Grange in Georgia during the 1870s. [12] In 1880, Gordon resigned from the Senate, with Colquitt filling his seat with Brown, who was appointed that same year. [16] [17] Brown, who was one of the first millionaires in the state, represented the industrialist elements of the New South ideology. [1] This situation was controversial, as Gordon had resigned in order to promote the state-owned Western and Atlantic Railroad, of which Brown had been serving as president of prior to his appointment to the Senate. [7] The idea that a bargain had been made between the three was widespread, and Colquitt in particular faced criticism from within the Democratic Party over his role in the situation. [18] [19] Despite this, the alleged bargain was never proved, and Colquitt managed to win reelection in 1880. [20]
In 1882, Colquitt was elected to the U.S. Senate, serving as the junior senator to Brown. In the Senate, Colquitt was frequently at odds with Brown, whom he had appointed several years prior, as Brown's pro-industry positions often clashed with Colquitt's planter-friendly platform. [19] This was most evident in the debate over tariffs, which Brown supported and Colquitt opposed, jeopardizing the alliance between agriculturalists and industrialists in the state. [21] Despite these issues, the two often worked together to support New South policies. [22] In 1886, Gordon reentered politics when he was elected Governor of the state. [8] This would represent the height of power for the triumvirate, as both senatorial positions and the governorship was held by a member of the triumvirate. [23]
Following this, the triumvirate experienced a gradual decline in cohesion and power. In 1887, Brown and Colquitt butted heads over President Grover Cleveland's announcement to lower tariffs, which Colquitt supported and Brown opposed. [1] Furthermore, following the revelation of the hardships of convict labor at Brown's coal mines, Gordon made convict lease reform an important plank on his platform. [1] [3] Additional factors that lead to the triumvirate's demise included the rise of prominent Georgia politician Thomas E. Watson and the death of Henry Grady. [1] [24] The deaths of both Brown and Colquitt in 1894 effectively ended the triumvirate. [1]
Modern historians debate the accuracy of the term as applied to Brown, Colquitt, and Gordon. Discussing the use of the term "Bourbon", American historian C. Vann Woodward claimed that, in its application to the three, "there has probably been no more fallacious misnomer in our history than this term Bourbon". [2] Furthermore, historians note that, despite the general support the three had for New South policies, the three were often opponents when it came to specific policies. [25] Brown and Colquitt especially often showed an adversarial relationship towards each other, with Colquitt blocking many of Brown's political ambitions and Brown at one point discussing the prospect of supporting Henry Grady in running against Colquitt for the governorship. [26] Additionally, the effect of Grady on obtaining political support for the triumvirate has also been discussed, as shortly after Grady's death in 1889, the triumvirate ceased to effectively function. [24]
Colquitt is a city and the county seat of Miller County, in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,001 at the 2020 census. Colquitt has been the county seat of Miller County since Miller County was incorporated by the Georgia Legislature in 1856. The city formally incorporated on December 19, 1860, and is Miller County's only incorporated municipality. Colquitt is named for U.S. Congressman and Senator Walter Terry Colquitt.
Joseph Emerson Brown, often referred to as Joe Brown, was an American attorney and politician, serving as the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, the only governor to serve four terms. He also served as a United States Senator from that state from 1880 to 1891.
The history of Georgia in the United States of America spans pre-Columbian time to the present-day U.S. state of Georgia. The area was inhabited by Native American tribes for thousands of years. A modest Spanish presence was established in the late 16th century, mostly centered on Catholic missions. The Spanish had largely withdrawn from the territory by the early 18th century, although they had settlements in nearby Florida. They had little influence historically in what would become Georgia.
John Brown Gordon was an attorney, a slaveholding planter, general in the Confederate States Army, and a politician in the postwar years. By the end of the Civil War, he had become "one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals."
New South, New South Democracy or New South Creed is a slogan in the history of the American South first used after the American Civil War. Reformers used it to call for a modernization of society and attitudes, to integrate more fully with the United States as a whole, reject the economy and traditions of the Old South, and the slavery-based plantation system of the prewar period. The term was coined by its leading spokesman, Atlanta editor Henry W. Grady in 1874.
The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Jonathan Norcross was elected in 1850 as the fourth Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, serving the customary term at the time of one year. Dubbed the "Father of Atlanta" and "hard fighter of everything" by publisher Henry W. Grady, he followed three mayors elected from the Free and Rowdy Party.
Michael Hoke Smith was an American attorney, politician, and newspaper owner who served as United States secretary of the interior (1893–1896), 58th governor of Georgia, and a United States senator (1911–1920) from Georgia. He was a leader of the progressive movement in the South and in the successful campaign to disenfranchise African American voters in 1907.
Alfred Holt Colquitt was an American lawyer, preacher, soldier, and politician. Elected as the 49th Governor of Georgia (1877–1882), he was one of numerous Democrats elected to office as white conservatives took back power in the state at the end of the Reconstruction era. He was elected by the Georgia state legislature to two terms as U.S. Senator, serving from 1883 to 1894 and dying in office. He had served as a United States officer in the Mexican-American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, reaching the rank of major general.
International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.) was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 4 to December 31 of 1881. The location was along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development in the West Midtown area. It planned to show the progress made since the city's destruction during the Battle of Atlanta and new developments in cotton production. It demonstrated the rebirth of Atlanta and the South by announcing an end to the Reconstruction Era and the sectional hostilities that had plagued the nation for several decades.
Peter Zack Geer was an American lawyer and a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Georgia.
Francis Fontaine was an American Confederate soldier, plantation owner, newspaper editor, poet and novelist from the state of Georgia.
The 1968 United States presidential election in Georgia was held on November 5, 1968. American Independent Party candidate George Wallace received the most votes, and won all twelve of the state's electoral college votes.
The literature of Georgia, United States, includes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Representative writers include Erskine Caldwell, Carson McCullers, Margaret Mitchell, Flannery O’Connor, Charles Henry Smith, and Alice Walker.
The Henry W. Grady statue is a monumental statue of Henry W. Grady in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Built by Alexander Doyle in 1891, the statue lies at the intersection of Marietta Street and Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta and was unveiled shortly after Grady's death in 1889. The statue has recently been the subject of controversy, as several groups have called for its removal due to Grady's support of white supremacy.
The Atlanta streetcar strike of 1916 was a labor strike involving streetcar operators for the Georgia Railway and Power Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Precipitated by previous strike action by linemen of Georgia Railway earlier that year, the strike began on September 30 and ended January 5 of the following year. The main goals of the strike included increased pay, shorter working hours, and union recognition. The strike ended with the operators receiving a wage increase, and subsequent strike action the following year lead to union recognition.
The equestrian statue of John Brown Gordon is a monument on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The monument, an equestrian statue, honors John Brown Gordon, a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War who later become a politician in post-Reconstruction era Georgia. Designed by Solon Borglum, the statue was dedicated in 1907 to large fanfare. The statue has recently become a figure of controversy over Gordon's racist views and associations with the Confederacy, with some calling for its removal.
Zula Brown Toole was an American newspaper publisher who founded the Miller County Liberal in 1897, making her the first woman to establish and publish a newspaper in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 1996 she was inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Atlanta's Berlin Wall, also known as the Peyton Road Affair or the Peyton Wall, refers to an event during the civil rights movement in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, in 1962. On December 17 of that year, the government of Atlanta, led by mayor Ivan Allen Jr., erected a barricade in the Cascade Heights neighborhood, mostly along Peyton Road, for the purposes of dissuading African Americans from moving into the neighborhood. The act was criticized by many African American leaders and civil rights groups in the city, and on March 1 of the following year the barricade was ruled unconstitutional and removed. The incident is seen as one of the most public examples of white Americans' fears of racial integration in Atlanta.
A statue of Benjamin Harvey Hill stands inside the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The monumental statue was designed by American sculptor Alexander Doyle and originally dedicated in 1886 at what is now Hardy Ivy Park. The statue was relocated to the capitol building in 1890.
