Claiborne Fox Jackson - Politics

Politics

Through his family connections with Dr. Sappington, Claiborne Jackson, along with brother-in-law Meredith M. Marmaduke became heavily involved with Missouri Democratic Party politics. Jackson was first elected to the Missouri General Assembly in 1836, representing Saline County. He moved to the Howard County seat of Fayette, Missouri -- then a center of political power in the state—in 1838 and worked for the local branch of the state bank. This would pay great political dividends later in his career. Claiborne Jackson would serve a total of twelve years in the Missouri House, including terms as Speaker in 1844 and 1846. In 1840 Claiborne Jackson very nearly found himself involved in a duel over politics. Writing anonymously to a Fayette, Missouri newspaper, Jackson made accusations that the Whig candidate for Missouri Governor that year, John B. Clark, was guilty of election fraud. More harsh words were exchanged and eventually Clark challenged Jackson to a duel before cooler heads prevailed and the matter was settled without gunplay. Later, once Clark had switched party allegiance to the Democrats, he and Jackson became political allies.

Claiborne Jackson was elected to the state senate in 1848. As leader of the pro-slavery Democrats, he headed efforts to defeat powerful pro-Union Senator Thomas H. Benton. This was an event with both personal and political implications for Jackson. Until that time, like his father-in-law Dr. Sappington and brother-in-law Meredith Marmaduke, Jackson had been an ardent backer of Benton. Marmaduke chose to side with Benton, which not only cost him the chance to be elected Governor in his own right (he had served ten months in the role following the suicide of Thomas Reynolds. The estrangement that developed within the family would not pass. While heading the Senate Ways and Means Committee, he introduced the "Jackson Resolutions". These mandated that Missouri's U.S. Senators and Congressmen make proposals extending the Missouri Compromise to all new territories, asserting that Congress had no power to limit slavery. Jackson and the anti-Benton faction would have their way, with the long-time Senator being voted out of office in 1850. However Benton supporters would exact revenge by derailing Jackson's attempts to secure the Democratic nomnation for U.S. Congress in 1853 and again in 1855.

In 1857, Jackson became Banking Commissioner of Missouri. In that position he established a system of six State Banks, with branch locations. This proved an advantage to business and the general public alike by stabilizing temporary currency shortages that happened from time to time, especially in the more rural areas of the state. As Commissioner Jackson traveled to various locations around the state inspecting banking facilities, while at the same time building a power base for his next attempt at elected office, Governor of Missouri.