Aaron V. Brown

For other people named Aaron Brown, see Aaron Brown (disambiguation).

Aaron Venable Brown
17th United States Postmaster General
In office March 6, 1857 – March 8, 1859
Preceded by	James Campbell
Succeeded by	Joseph Holt
Personal details
Born	August 15, 1795(1795-08-15) Brunswick County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	March 8, 1859(1859-03-08) (aged 63) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Profession	Politician, Lawyer

Aaron Venable Brown (August 15, 1795 – March 8, 1859) was a Governor of Tennessee and Postmaster General in the Buchanan administration. He was also the law partner of James K. Polk.

Biography

Brown was a native of Virginia, but a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was valedictorian of the class of 1814. He later entered into the practice of law with James K. Polk. He was a member of the Tennessee State Senate from 1821 to 1827 and of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1831 to 1835, and a member of the United States House of Representatives for three terms, 1839 to 1845. He won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1845 and was elected.

When the Mexican-American War began, largely through the actions of his old friend Polk, who was now President, Brown issued a call for 2,600 volunteers. When approximately 30,000 men answered this call, Tennessee's reputation as the Volunteer State was forever secured.

Like his friend Polk, Brown was also defeated for re-election as governor of Tennessee. He did not participate further in statewide elected politics, but was selected as a delegate to the Nashville Convention of 1850 held at Nashville's McKendree Methodist Church. This is probably the first place in Southern history where secession was ever openly and seriously discussed outside of South Carolina. Some historians credit the pressure that it instigated as helping to lead to the Compromise of 1850. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1852 where Franklin Pierce and William R. King were nominated. In 1854 he delivered an address to the University of North Carolina's literary societies. In 1854 a volume of his speeches was published in Nashville, Speeches, Congressional and Political, and Other Writings, of ex-Governor Aaron Venable Brown[1]. Brown was subsequently rewarded for his service as a loyal Democrat by being appointed Postmaster General in the Administration of President James Buchanan, and was still holding this office at the time of his death. He is buried in Nashville's Mt. Olivet Cemetery. His speeches were published in Nashville (1854). New International Encyclopedia

External links

• Aaron V. Brown at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Aaron V. Brown at Find A Grave
• Speeches of Aaron V. Brown from Google Books
• Tennessee State Library & Archives, Papers of Governor Aaron Venable Brown, 1845-1847

Political offices
Preceded by James C. Jones	Governor of Tennessee 1845 – 1847	Succeeded by Neill S. Brown
Preceded by James Campbell	United States Postmaster General Served under: James Buchanan March 6, 1857 – March 8, 1859	Succeeded by Joseph Holt
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Ebenezer J. Shields	Member from Tennessee's 10th congressional district March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	Succeeded by John B. Ashe
Preceded by William B. Campbell	Member from Tennessee's 6th congressional district March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	Succeeded by Barclay Martin