Charles L. Robinson

For other people named Charles Robinson, see Charles Robinson (disambiguation).

Charles L. Robinson
1st Governor of Kansas
In office February 9, 1861 – January 12, 1863
Lieutenant	Josephy Pomeroy Root
Preceded by	Samuel Medary as Governor of Kansas Territory
Succeeded by	Thomas Carney
Personal details
Born	July 21, 1818 Hardwick, Massachusetts
Died	August 17, 1894(1894-08-17) (aged 76) Douglas County, Kansas
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Sarah Adams; Sara Tappan Doolittle Lawrence
Profession	doctor, newspaper editor, abolitionist
Religion	Universalist (preference)

Charles Lawrence Robinson (July 21, 1818 – August 17, 1894) was the first Governor of Kansas. He was also the first governor of a US state to be impeached, although he was not convicted or removed from office. To date he is the only governor of Kansas to be impeached. He was educated at Hadley and Amherst Academies, at Amherst College, and at the Berkshire Medical School, earning his medical degree from the latter in 1843.

Robinson represented California's 12th State Assembly district from 1851 to 1852.

During the Bleeding Kansas tragedy, Robinson angered many with his passionate support for the Free-Staters, who were promoting a fight against pro-slavery advocates. He was illegally elected Territorial Governor of Kansas under the Topeka Constitution in January 1856. From the spring of 1856 until September, Robinson and several other Free-State leaders, including the son of abolitionist John Brown, were held in custody in Camp Sackett. This United States military camp (named for Delos B. Sackett) was located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Lecompton, Kansas.

In 1861, he took office as Governor of the newly-admitted State of Kansas. His impeachment was due to a political rivalry with James H. Lane.

External links

• Kansas State Historical Society
• Impeachment of State Officials
• Charles L. Robinson at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association