John Forsyth

John Forsyth Sr. (October 22, 1780 – October 21, 1841) was a 19th-century American politician from Georgia. He represented the state in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and also served as the 33rd governor of Georgia. As a supporter of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, Forsyth was appointed the 13th United States Secretary of State by Jackson in 1834, and continued in that role until 1841 during the presidency of Martin Van Buren. He also served as US Minister to Spain during the presidency of James Monroe.

Early life Forsyth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1794, his father, Robert Forsyth, was the first United States federal law enforcement officer to be killed in the line-of-duty. He was an attorney who graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1799. He married Clara Meigs, daughter of Josiah Meigs, in 1801. One of his sons, John Forsyth, Jr., later became a newspaper editor.

Political life Forsyth served in the United States House of Representatives (1813–1818 and 1823–1827), the United States Senate (1818–1819 and 1829–1834), and as the 33rd governor of Georgia (1827–1829). He was the United States Secretary of State from 1834 until 1841. In this role he led the government's response to the Amistad case. He was a loyal follower of Andrew Jackson and opposed John C. Calhoun in the issue of nullification. Forsyth was appointed as Secretary of State in reward for his efforts. He led the pro-removal reply to Theodore Frelinghuysen about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. He supported slavery and was a slaveholder himself.

Death and legacy Forsyth died in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Congressional Cemetery. Forsyth County, Georgia; Forsyth, Georgia; Forsyth, Missouri; and Forsyth Park in Savannah are named for him. He died the day before his 61st birthday.

In popular culture In the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie, Amistad, Forsyth was played by character actor David Paymer.