William C. C. Claiborne: Profile of a Democrat Author(s): John D. Winters Source: Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Summer, 1969), pp. 189-209 Published by: Louisiana Historical Association Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4231072 Accessed: 02-01-2019 01:42 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Louisiana Historical Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association This content downloaded from 138.47.53.7 on Wed, 02 Jan 2019 01:42:16 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms William C. C. Claiborne: Profile of a Democrat By JOHN D. WINTERS Professor of History, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, Ruston, Louisiana. William Charles Cole Claibome, a founding father of Lou- isiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi, is one of the most neglected men in American history. Today, more than 150 years after his death, no full biography of this outstanding champion of democracy has been published. While several studies of Clai- borne's public life have been written, no work has satisfactorily combined his political career with his private life.' As a man Claiborne still remains something of an enigma. Beyond the barest skeleton of facts, little is known of his per- sonal life. For one who wrote such meticulous and voluminous official correspondence, it is strange that he left behind no di- aries and only a few personal letters concerning his private, well-ordered existence. William C. C. Claibome was largely a self-made man, who like Andrew Jackson grew politically with the frontier. He helped to shape frontier democracy, and as a staunch sup- porter of Jeffersonian republicanism, manifest destiny, and love of country he had few peers. He was a driving, ambitious man. He possessed a good * Presidential address delivered at the eleventh annual meeting of the Louisi- ana Historical Association in Lafayette, Friday, March 21, 1969. 1 Several master's theses and a scholarly doctoral dissertation by Joseph Tennis Hatfield, "The Public Career of William C. C. Claiborne," Emory University, 1962, deal mainly with Claiborne's political life. 189 This content downloaded from 138.47.53.7 on Wed, 02 Jan 2019 01:42:16 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 190 LOUISIANA HISTORY sense of time, place, and man. He cleverly managed to know the right people who could add to his knowledge and help engineer his political advancement. Outstanding accomplish- ment was his destiny and he was impelled toward success. Fortunately, his was an ambition tempered with sincerity, warmth, friendliness, and charm. The Claiborne family was first established in Virginia in 1622 by William Claiborne, younger son of a middle class English merchant. With little chance of advancement at home, he had migrated to America to seek his fortune. He served first as a royal surveyor of Virginia and later became a successful Indian fur trader. William Claiborne prospered and acquired large estates. Beginning his political career as Secretary of State, he later became a member of the Council of the colony. He was a clever, resourceful politician, a powerful man, and a champion of colonial rights and of personal liberty. Several decades later one of his many descendants, William Charles Cole Claiborne, was born in 1775 in Sussex County, Virginia, not far from Richmond. He was the son of Colonel William Claibome and Mary Leigh.2 Colonel Claiborne served in the American army during the Revolution and during his long absence the already poor fami- ly finances grew weaker. After the war, because of ineptness in business and lack of ambition, he lost the remainder of his inheritance and the family was reduced to a low economic status. Poor family provider or not, Colonel Claiborne was a kindly, loving father, full of wise platitudes and sage advice for his sons, especially concerning honor, freedom, and demo- cratic government. William Claiborne taught his children at home, giving them a basic education. Later young William was sent to Richmond Academy, where he excelled. He was respected by his teach- ers for his diligence and enthusiasm. Every Saturday he stud- ied the Bible and on Sunday he attended church. 2 Nathaniel H. Claiborne, Notes on the War in the South with Biographical Sketches of the Lives of Montgomery, Jackson, Sevier, the late Gov. Claiborne, and Others (Richmond, 1819), is the best single source of Claiborne's early years and occasionally gives a brief glimpse into his later personal life. This content downloaded from 138.47.53.7 on Wed, 02 Jan 2019 01:42:16 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE 191 William early determined that he would not follow in his father's floundering, poverty-laden footsteps. He was highly intelligent and was obsessed with the idea of success. He was driven by an insatiable desire to excel and to restore honor to the family name. He was a young man in a hurry, and hurry he did, achieving more in a short span than most men do in a life twice as long. At the age of fifteen the ambitious boy left school to seek quicker advancement in New York. Colonel Claiborne had gone deeper in debt to send William to Richmond Academy and this knowledge hurt the boy's pride. With only a few dollars in his pocket and a small satchel of clothing in hand, in the best Horatio Alger tradition, Wil- liam arrived in New York to make his own way in the world. He sought out a family acquaintance, Mr. John Beckley of Virginia, who was serving as a clerk in Congress. Young Claiborne was hired to copy acts and resolutions and to draft bills for various committees of Congress. His work required only half-a-day and in the afternoons he listened attentively to the Congressional debates, read political works, and studied French. His eager young mind soaked up everything and stored it away for the future. Having early acquired a fear of debts, he lived frugally and saved most of his wages. William was precocious, handsome, graceful, tall, and seemed older than his bare sixteen years. He talked well and possessed much polish and wit. Older ladies found him charm- ing and he spent most of his evenings in their company acquiring greater poise and social grace. Congress soon moved to Philadelphia from the temporary capital in New York and William went along. There, as a clerk, he was befriended by Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State. More important to his immediate future was an ac- quaintance with General John Sevier, a congressional delegate from the Tennessee Territory. Sevier urged Claiborne to seek his fortunes in the new West. William Claibome, always searching for anything that would advance his meager formal education, became a member of a Philadelphia debating society. He soon acquired the trick of This content downloaded from 138.47.53.7 on Wed, 02 Jan 2019 01:42:16 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 192 LOUISIANA HISTORY excellent phrasing, voice modulation, and organized argu- ment. With his success as a debater and with the advice of John Sevier, William decided to study law. He went to Rich- mond to read law in a judge's office. He spent his days in study and his nights in the company of the ladies. After only three months of sketchy sampling of the law, he took the Virginia bar examination, and to his surprise passed and was issued a license to practice. The young lawyer, barely twenty years of age, then left Virginia for the wilds of Sullivan County in the Tennessee Territory. Success was instantaneous. Lawyers, even those with as little formal training as Claiborne had, were few. It is re- ported that the eloquence of the young lawyer was so great that he often reduced juries to tears. His quick comprehen- sion, his goodness of heart, his willingness to ride on horse- back hundreds of miles through any weather to defend a case, and, above all, his success in court made his legal services much in demand. His fees grew larger and larger. Claiborne's child- hood fear of poverty made him save most of his money. For two years he set aside most social pleasures and devoted his time to the study and practice of law. By 1795 the territory of Tennessee had acquired a sufficient population to qualify for admission as a state in the Union. Young Claiborne was elected one of the five delegates to represent Sullivan County in the constitutional convention. It was at this Convention in early 1796, held in Knoxville, that Tennessee gained one of the most liberal state constitutions and Claibome began his political career. The new governor of Tennessee, General John Sevier, ap- pointed his friend William Claiborne a judge of the Superior Court of Law and Equity although he was then only twenty- one. Acceptance meant the loss of his rich law fees, but for once Claiborne set aside monetary considerations and gladly entered his arduous task. Riding hundreds of miles he held court with local county judges and was paid $83.33 1/3 for each term of court attended.