John Miller (D)

Overview

At a Glance

• Missouri State Library was established by law (1829)
• Called upon the General Assembly to make effective use of federal land grants to support public schools
• Mobilized militia to control Native American incursions
• Supported creation of a state bank

Personal History

John Miller, a proponent of the Democratic policies championed by Andrew Jackson and Senator Thomas Hart Benton, was born in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia). Around 1803, he relocated to Steubenville, Ohio, where he, along with his brother, edited and published the Steubenville Gazette.

Miller served in the Ohio militia, and after the outbreak of the War of 1812, received a commission as a colonel in the 19th Infantry of the United States Army. He commanded Fort Meigs in Ohio during an 1813 siege by a combined British and Native American force that ultimately failed. After 1814, Miller took command of the entire northern frontier.

At the end of the war Miller chose to remain in the army and was stationed at Fort Bellefontaine in the Missouri Territory. In the summer of 1815, he commanded the troops assigned to patrol a major gathering of Native Americans who had come to confer with U.S. officials at nearby Portage des Sioux. Colonel Miller resigned from the army in 1817, and accepted an appointment as a register of the land office at Franklin, Missouri. He held this position for eight years.

Miller never married, and after his term in Congress ended, Miller took up residence at Florissant in St. Louis County, where he died in 1846. He was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.

Political History

In mid-1825, the resignation of Lt. Gov. Benjamin Reeves and the subsequent death of Gov. Frederick Bates created a vacancy in Missouri’s top office, prompting a special gubernatorial election at the end of the year. John Miller was one of four candidates vying for the position amidst a political landscape lacking clear party lines. Two factions emerged: a nationalist, pro-commerce group supporting U.S. Senator David Barton and President John Quincy Adams, and an agrarian, states' rights faction backing Missouri's second senator, Thomas Hart Benton, and future Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Jackson.

Seeking to distance himself from this partisanship, Miller was viewed as an independent with nationalist leanings by his friends in St. Louis, while his central-Missouri neighbors embraced him. Senator Benton actively supported Miller, resulting in a victory that the St. Louis Missouri Advocate celebrated as a strong endorsement for Jackson and Benton.

Gov. Miller sought to align with Benton and the Boonslick Democrats, who dominated Missouri politics for the next two decades under the Andrew Jackson Democratic Party. When Miller ran for reelection in 1828, he faced no opposition.

As an adherent of Jeffersonian principles, Gov. Miller advocated for a limited government role in social and economic matters. However, he urged the General Assembly to effectively utilize national land grants to support public schools, which he regarded as the cornerstone of a free republican government.

In 1832, Gov. Miller advocated to the General Assembly to establish a conservative, republican-style state bank, with the state serving as a guardian and trustee of its funds. Alongside Jackson and Benton, he advocated for hard money, opposed paper currency, and criticized the Bank of the United States.

Miller also urged the General Assembly to enlist Congress’s support for initiatives he considered vital to Missouri’s interests. He advocated for Benton's plan to gradually lower public land prices, eventually shifting his stance to favor transferring all public lands - such as the salt springs and lead mines - to the state. Additionally, Miller called for federal protection of the Santa Fe Trail, a crucial trade route for Missourians. As a committed Jacksonian Democrat, he supported Benton's proposed constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College in favor of direct presidential elections.

In addition, Miller often mobilized the militia to address Native American incursions, demonstrating his commitment to managing Native American affairs within Missouri.

After his term as governor expired in 1832, Miller returned to Howard County and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1836. He won reelection in 1838 and 1840, consistently supporting Democratic policies like opposing protective tariffs and the re-chartering of the Bank of the United States. However, he did not propose new initiatives or take a leading role in Congress, instead opting to avoid debates that could heighten sectional tensions. As national political partisanship grew, Miller chose not to seek reelection in 1842.

Historical Significance

Miller's election in 1828 marked the only time Missouri has experienced an uncontested gubernatorial race; he was also the only governor to serve two consecutive terms until a change in the Missouri State Constitution in the late 1960s.

As a Jeffersonian Republican governor, Miller favored a limited government; however, he and Missouri's first governor, Alexander McNair, shared a commitment to public education, both recommending that the legislature utilize federal land grants for public schools. This initiative helped to pave the way for the establishment of the University of Missouri in 1839. Additionally, Miller supported the creation of a state bank, similar to the one chartered later under the Boggs administration.

Miller advocated for locating the state's main prison in Jefferson City to solidify the city's status as the state capitol. The Missouri State Penitentiary opened in Jefferson City in 1836, four years after his second term ended It remained in operation until 2004, making it at the time the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi River.

Miller County in central Missouri was named for Gov. Miller in 1837.