Quick Facts
GeminiBiography
William Savin Fulton (June 2, 1795 – August 15, 1844) was an American politician who served as the fourth Governor of Arkansas Territory and United States Senator for Arkansas.
Early life
Fulton was born in Cecil County, Maryland, and graduated from Baltimore College in 1813. He had intended to study law, but with the outbreak of the War of 1812 he enlisted in a company of volunteers at Fort McHenry. Fulton was military secretary to General Andrew Jackson during the First Seminole War in 1818. After the war, Fulton moved to Gallatin, Tennessee, where he was admitted to the bar in 1817.
Political career
In 1820, Fulton settled in Florence, Alabama and became county judge in 1822. He was appointed Secretary of the Arkansas Territory by President Andrew Jackson in 1829. He served as Secretary until 1835, when he was appointed Governor of the Territory. When Arkansas was admitted as a state in 1836, he became one of its first Senators. In the Senate he became a member of the Democratic Party. Fulton remained a Senator until his death in 1844.
Death
Fulton died at his home in Little Rock and was buried in the historic Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.
Legacy
Fulton County, Arkansas is named for him.