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Higher Office(s) Served: Representative, Senator

GEORGE MICHAEL TROUP was born in McIntosh Bluff on the Toombigbee River, Alabama (then part of Georgia), on September 8, 1780. He graduated from Princeton University in 1797, then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1799, and established a legal career in Savannah, Georgia. Troup entered politics in 1803 as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, a position he held until 1805. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1807 to 1815, and was a member of the U.S. Senate from 1816 to 1818. He ran unsuccessfully for the governor's office in 1819 and 1821; however, two years later he was victorious and became Georgia's 16th governor. He won reelection in 1825, becoming the first governor elected by a popular vote. During his tenure, he advocated for internal programs and endorsed states' rights. Treaty negotiations with the Creek Indians were initiated, allowing for the removal of the Indians from the state and authorizing white settlers to make use of the land. In 1825, the Treaty of Indian Springs was signed, as well as another treaty in 1827 that relinquished the remaining Creek land. After leaving office, Troup served again in the U.S. Senate from 1829 to 1833. Governor George M. Troup died on April 26, 1856, and he is buried on his Rosemont plantation in Montgomery County, Georgia.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 1, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

Biographical Dictionary of the U.S. Congress

Our Georgia History

Troup County, GA - Genealogy and History

Governors' Portraits