George Tucker (politician)

George Tucker was born in Bermuda, and became an American attorney, politician, historian, author, and educator in Virginia. His literary works include The Valley of Shenandoah, the first fiction of colonial life in Virginia, and Voyage to the Moon, which is among the nation’s earliest science fiction novels. Tucker also published the first comprehensive biography of Thomas Jefferson in 1837, and History of the United States.

About George Tucker (politician) in brief

George Tucker was born in Bermuda, and became an American attorney, politician, historian, author, and educator in Virginia. His literary works include The Valley of Shenandoah, the first fiction of colonial life in Virginia, and Voyage to the Moon, which is among the nation’s earliest science fiction novels. Tucker also published the first comprehensive biography of Thomas Jefferson in 1837, as well as his History of the United States. Tucker was a son of the first mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda, Daniel Tucker. He immigrated to Virginia at age 20, was educated at the College of William and Mary, and was admitted to the bar. His first marriage to Mary Farley ended childless with her death in 1799; he remarried and had six children with wife Maria Carter, who died at age 38 in 1823. His third wife of 30 years was Louisa Thompson, who death in 1858. Tucker wrote distinctive compositions for various publications. His topics ranged widely from the conceptual to the technical—from slavery, suffrage, and morality to intracoastal navigation, wages, and banking. After retiring, Tucker relocated to Philadelphia, continuing his research, and expounding upon a variety of subjects, which included monetary policy and socio-economics, until his death in Virginia at the age of 85. He was the second son of Daniel and Elizabeth Tucker, who were distant cousins, and members of the Tucker family that included Henry Tucker. At age 15 he helped form a literary club, which he says he named the Calliopean Society; this may have been an imitation of the original started earlier in New York.

Tucker at age 16 began to read the law under a successful and prosperous lawyer, George Bascomb. At Bascomb’s death, the firm’s clients urged Tucker to assume their representation, but feeling quite unqualified, he declined, and initiated plans for a career in the U.S. He was elected in 1816 to the Virginia House of Delegates for one term, and served in the US House of Representatives from 1819 to 1825. According to Tucker’s Autobiography, at this time he encountered his first love interest, in a distant cousin, Nancy Tucker. The longer he suffered in silence with his feelings, the stronger they grew, until finally he resolved to call upon her at home and make his declaration. Tucker offered her his hand, which was accepted, all in silence. The tongue-tied handholding continued for 10–15 minutes until interrupted by the entrance of her mother, and the visit ended. Very soon thereafter the girl fell ill and left Tucker as a man. Six years passed before he expressed interest in an woman in another woman. He discarded the idea of his legal education for his legal studies in Philadelphia, but briefly considered London in order to optimize his chances for his political advancement. After two years of academic work, Tucker was pleased to find the academic work undemanding, and proceeded to Williamsburg, Virginia, to seek advice and borrow money.

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