Biographical Album of Tennessee Governors [Newton Cannon--1835-1839] / J. S. Jones : a machine-readable transcription of an image
Jones, J. S.
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The Biographical Album of Tennessee Governors, dated 1904, contains 31 plates, each featuring a Tennessee Governor's photo on the front and biographical information on the back. This plate features Newton Cannon, Tennessee Governor from 1835 until 1839.
Newton Cannon , Governor of Tennessee , 1835- 1839, was born May 22, 1781, in Guilford County, N. C. [North Carolina] His father was named Minos and was a soldier in the Continental Army. Soon after the close of the Revolutionary war, Minos Cannon brought his family to the Cumberland settlements. Here they remained but for a short while and returned to North Carolina. They came back, however, in 1790, and this time remained. Newton had but limited education. He learned the saddler's trade, afterward became a merchant, and later studied surveying which he adopted as a life profession. 1812 he was a member of the State Senate. He was in the Creek war, and was Colonel of his regiment; was elected a member of Congress 1814 , and served until 1825. 1827 he ran against Sam Houston for Governor and was defeated. Eight years later he defeated William Carroll , who had served as Governor two periods of six years each. He next defeated Armstrong , and two years later was in turn defeated by James K. Polk . With Cannon's campaign party politics entered into State elections and for a period of twenty years the Whigs and Democrats alternated in the control of the State. Cannon was a Whig. He died two years after his defeat by Polk, Sept. [September] 16, 1841, and was buried at Nashville .