George Nixon Briggs

Whig Representative of Massachusetts's 7th district

Congresses Served

House Terms

April 12, 1796 (65 years old)

Birthday

September 11, 1861

Death

Served as the 19th Governor of Massachusetts from 1844 to 1851, winning multiple elections against Democratic opponents.
Elected to the United States House of Representatives for twelve years, representing both the 9th and 7th congressional districts.
A member of the Whig Party, he was known as a “Cotton Whig,” supporting protectionist tariffs and opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories.
Advocated for temperance and was a founding member of the Congressional Temperance Society.
Engaged in significant legal and civic activities prior to his political career, including serving as register of deeds and town clerk.
Known for his opposition to the imprisonment of free African Americans in South Carolina and for his refusal to commute death sentences during his governorship.
His administration faced challenges from rising abolitionist movements and the emergence of the Free Soil Party.
After his governorship, he returned to practicing law and served as a judge, later being appointed to a diplomatic mission by President Abraham Lincoln, which he did not fulfill due to his untimely death from an accidental gunshot wound.