Governor John Forsyth
Namesake of Savannah's Forsyth Park
Regarded as one of the most accomplished statesmen in Georgia’s history, John Forsyth made a great impact on the state throughout his life. Forsyth grew up in Augusta, Georgia after leaving his home state of Virginia while he was a young adult.
John Forsyth’s career of notability began early. He attended the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, and graduated in 1799 at just 19 years old. After graduating, he relocated to Augusta where he continued to study law, and was admitted into the bar association. In Augusta, Forsyth met and married Clara Meigs, and together they parented 8 children.
Forsyth opened up a law practice in Augusta with John Y. Noel, and quickly began being recognized as a talented lawyer. So much so that in 1808, less than 10 years after graduating from college, he was appointed attorney general for the state of Georgia. This role launched his political career and was the catalyst for his future as a prominent figure.
Five years later after this appointment, Forsyth was selected for a role as a Jeffersonian Republican to the Thirteenth U.S. Congress. He worked with the House of Representatives until the fall of 1818, and went on to fill a seat in the U.S. Senate. His journey working with the U.S. Senate was short lived, as just two months after beginning, he was appointed minister to Spain and transferred to that role.
While in the role of minister to Spain, Forsyth’s greatest accomplishment was a negotiation treaty that resulted in Florida being annexed from Spain. After this, he moved positions again after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Here, he was the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Despite his constant moves from one department to another, Forsyth eventually found his way back to working for the state of Georgia. In 1827, he returned to the state to serve a two year term as the state’s governor. During this time, he extended state laws over the Cherokee Nation.
Forsyth was later named Secretary of State by President Jackson, and served through his presidency and into President Martin Van Buren’s upon his election. While his accomplishments as Secretary of State were many, the most notable was regarding collecting payments from France over the course of several years. He successfully collected approximately $5 million dollars from them as repayment for the French government’s raids on American shipping during the Napoleonic Wars. John Forsyth would be the only Georgian to fill the role until 1961 when Dean Rusk was selected.
In 1841, while he was still in the peak of his career and aspiring to return to the U.S. Senate, Forsyth passed away due to illness. Forsyth Park, Savannah’s go-to local attraction, was named after him, as the city’s homage to his incredible accomplishments. While he was not technically born in Georgia, he is regarded as a native in the state after spending the majority of his life living and serving the community in the state.
