Nathaniel Pope

Nathaniel Pope (January 5, 1784 – January 23, 1850) was an American government leader in the early history of the State of Illinois. He served as the Secretary of the Illinois Territory, then as a Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Illinois Territory, and for over thirty years as the United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Illinois.

Early life and education

Born on January 5, 1784, in Louisville in what was then District of Kentucky, Virginia (but became Kentucky in his lifetime), to the former Penelope Sanford Edwards (1757-) and her husband Col. William H. Pope (1740–1825). After a private education appropriate to his class, Nathaniel Pope attended Transylvania University, then read law in 1804.

Congressional service

Pope was elected on September 5, 1816, as a Delegate to the United States House of Representatives for a term of two years, serving in the 14th and 15th United States Congresses from December 2, 1816, to November 30, 1818. He was a register for the United States General Land Office in Edwardsville, Illinois Territory (State of Illinois from December 3, 1818) from November 30, 1818, to March 3, 1819. Furthermore, Pope drafted the statehood resolution to ensure that 2% of land sales would be used to fund roads and 3% to fund schools, unlike the previous statehood resolutions which required 5% to be used to fund roads.

As a federal judge, Pope notably granted habeas corpus to Mormon leader Joseph Smith to avoid extradition to Missouri over the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs, a former governor of Missouri.

Unsuccessful campaign

Pope was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1824.

Honor

Pope County, Illinois, was named for Pope, as was the recently closed Nathaniel Pope Elementary School in North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois.