View source for Israel Pickens

{{short description|Democratic governor of and U.S. Senator from Alabama}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Israel Pickens
|image        = Pickensisrael.jpg
|office       = [[United States Senator]] from [[Alabama]]
|term_start   = February 17, 1826
|term_end     = November 27, 1826
|appointer    = [[John Murphy (Alabama)|John Murphy]]
|predecessor  = [[Henry H. Chambers]]
|successor    = [[John McKinley]]
|order1       = 3rd
|office1      = Governor of Alabama
|term_start1  = November 9, 1821 
|term_end1    = November 25, 1825
|predecessor1 = [[Thomas Bibb]]
|successor1   = [[John Murphy (Alabama)|John Murphy]]
|state2       = [[North Carolina]]
|district2    = [[North Carolina's 12th congressional district|12th]]
|term_start2  = March 4, 1813
|term_end2    = March 3, 1817
|preceded2    = [[Meshack Franklin]]
|succeeded2   = [[Felix Walker (American politician)|Felix Walker]]
|state3       = [[North Carolina]]
|district3    = [[North Carolina's 11th congressional district|11th]]
|term_start3  = March 4, 1811
|term_end3    = March 3, 1813
|preceded3    = [[James Holland (North Carolina politician)|James Holland]]
|succeeded3   = [[Peter Forney]]
|office4      = Member of the [[North Carolina Senate]]
|term4        = 1808–1810
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1780|1|30|mf=y}}
|birth_place  = [[Concord, North Carolina]], US
|death_date   = {{death date and age|1827|4|24|1780|1|30}}
|death_place  = [[Matanzas, Cuba]]
|resting_place = Greensboro Cemetery, [[Greensboro, Alabama]]
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|otherparty   = [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]]
|spouse       =
|alma_mater   = [[Washington and Jefferson College|Jefferson College]]
|profession   = [[Lawyer]]
|religion     =
}}

'''Israel Pickens''' (January 30, 1780 – April 24, 1827) was an American politician and lawyer, [[List of governors of Alabama|third Governor]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alabama]] ([[1821 Alabama gubernatorial election|1821]]–1825), member of the [[North Carolina Senate]] (1808–1810), and United States Congressman from North Carolina in the [[United States House of Representatives]] (1811–1817).

==Biography==
Born in [[Concord, North Carolina]], Pickens graduated from Jefferson College (now [[Washington & Jefferson College]]) in 1802, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. Pickens was a native of North Carolina and represented the "North Carolina Faction" in early Alabama politics, like fellow North Carolina Representative [[William R. King]], with whom he served Congress during the early 1810s. The main opposition to the "North Carolina Faction" was the "Georgia Faction", which many new settlers to the state viewed as too aristocratic and elitist. At the same time, Pickens was seen as the "spokesman for the have-nots." Pickens married Martha Lenoir in 1814, the daughter of North Carolina statesman [[William Lenoir (general)|William Lenoir]]. In both [[1821 Alabama gubernatorial election|1821]] and [[1823 Alabama gubernatorial election|1823]], Pickens beat Dr. [[Henry H. Chambers|Henry Chambers]] by a vote of 9,114 to 7,129 and 6,942 to 4,604, respectively.

After serving as governor and being succeeded by his handpicked man [[John Murphy (Alabama)|John Murphy]], Pickens was appointed to the [[United States Senate]] to fill the vacancy left by the death of [[Henry H. Chambers]], whom he beat twice for the governorship. He only served from February 17 to November 27, 1826, when the elected successor, [[John McKinley]], took office.

In addition to politics, Pickens participated in the [[American Colonization Society]] and was interested in [[scientific research]]. He invented a lunar dial.

Pickens died in [[Matanzas]], Cuba, in 1827. He was originally buried in a family graveyard, but his remains were later moved to City Cemetery, [[Greensboro, Alabama]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Political Graveyard: Hale County, Ala.|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/AL/HA-buried.html#cms01279|access-date=2012-03-09 }}</ref>

==References==
{{congbio|P000322}}
* {{cite web
 |title=Israel Pickens
 |work=Alabama Governors
 |publisher=Alabama Department of Archives & History
 |url=http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_picken.html
 |access-date=2006-11-09
 |archive-date=2009-03-16
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316164204/http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_picken.html
 |url-status=dead
 }}
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box 
| state=North Carolina 
| district=11 
| before=[[James Holland (North Carolina politician)|James Holland]] 
| years=1811–1813 
| after=[[Peter Forney]]}}
{{US House succession box 
| state=North Carolina 
| district=12
| before=[[Meshack Franklin]] 
| years=1813–1817
| after=[[Felix Walker (American politician)|Felix Walker]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
|title=[[List of Governors of Alabama|Governor of Alabama]]
|before=[[Thomas Bibb]]
|after=[[John Murphy (Alabama)|John Murphy]]
|years=1821–1825
}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state=Alabama
|class=3
|before=[[Henry H. Chambers]]
|alongside=[[William R. King]]
|after=[[John McKinley]]
|years=1826
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Governors of Alabama}}
{{USSenAL}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickens, Israel}}
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1827 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Concord, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Jacksonian United States senators from Alabama]]
[[Category:Alabama Democratic-Republicans]]
[[Category:Alabama Jacksonians]]
[[Category:Governors of Alabama]]
[[Category:Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States]]
[[Category:North Carolina state senators]]
[[Category:Washington & Jefferson College alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly]]

{{Alabama-politician-stub}}
{{NorthCarolina-NCSenate-stub}}