Ellis, Richard, 1781-1846

Planter, lawyer, and politician Richard Ellis (1781-1846) studied law in his home state of Virginia and then served in the Alabama Constitutional Convention and on the Supreme Court. In 1834, he moved to Pecan Point (now in Bowie County, Texas), located in territory claimed by both Mexico and the United States (as part of Arkansas). There Ellis established a large cotton plantation with his wife Mary West Ellis (née Dandridge), two children, and slaves and was selected as a representative of Pecan Point in the Texas constitutional convention in March 1836. Ellis was unanimously elected president and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. His presidency was largely viewed as a success, particularly the ability to hold the convention together while the constitution of the Republic of Texas was drafted. He served as a senator from 1836 until retiring from public life in 1840.

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