Background
He was born on June 23, 1777 into the planter class in Goochland County, Virginia, was the eldest son of Thomas Fleming Bates and Caroline Matilda Woodson, and brother of Edward Bates.
(Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol....)
Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol. 1 The publication of these volumes was made possible by the generosity of Mr. William K. Bixby, the President of the Missouri Historical Society, who has given to the Society a fund to enable it to make available for scholars the treasures which have long reposed in its archives. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol....)
Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol. 2 I had the honor of addressing you, early in the month of June from_ Cape Girardeau, since which I have visited all the intermediate settlements. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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He was born on June 23, 1777 into the planter class in Goochland County, Virginia, was the eldest son of Thomas Fleming Bates and Caroline Matilda Woodson, and brother of Edward Bates.
Bates was schooled privately at his family's Belmont plantation by tutors. Later he went to college and read the law with an established firm.
At the age of seventeen or eighteen he began the study of law while he served as postmaster and as deputy clerk of the court of Goochland County, Va. Removing to Detroit in 1797, he served in the quartermaster's department of the Army of the Northwest, resigning three years later to become a merchant. He appears to have prospered until June 11, 1805, when his store was burned in the conflagration which destroyed Detroit. Upon the creation of Michigan Territory, he was made an associate judge, and assisted Gov. William Hull and the other judges in drawing up the first territorial code.
In November 1806 he was appointed secretary of Louisiana Territory, as well as member of the board of land commissioners and recorder of land titles. His appointment as secretary was due to the fact that the Burr Conspiracy was then developing and Jefferson wanted an official in the trans-Mississippi region on whom he could rely. As secretary Bates succeeded Dr. Joseph Browne, a brother-in-law of Aaron Burr. Until Meriwether Lewis, the new governor, arrived, Bates was acting governor, exhibiting no little initiative and energy. He removed from office dishonest officials, won the support of the French inhabitants, and did much to offset the influence of British traders among the Indians. He was mainly responsible for the revision of the territorial code, and in 1808 published a compilation of the laws of Louisiana Territory, the first book to be printed in what is now the state of Missouri.
Three times thereafter he served as acting governor because of the enforced absence or resignation of his chief. He acted as secretary of Louisiana Territory until 1812, and was secretary of Missouri Territory until Missouri was admitted into the Union as a state. Finally in 1824 he became governor in his own right, having defeated no less an opponent than William Henry Ashley. It was during his incumbency that Lafayette visited St. Louis and was lavishly entertained, but the Governor, characteristically, refused to attend the official reception because the legislature had made no appropriation for the occasion.
(Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol....)
(Excerpt from The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, Vol....)
His portrait shows a refined countenance, a wealth of curly hair, kind but brilliant eyes, a well-formed nose, and firm lips. It is the countenance of a scholarly gentleman of the old school.
Quotes from others about the person
Edward Bates said of his brother, "F[rederick] B[ates] was a man naturally of good parts, far above mediocrity, and by life long practise, methodical and exact in business. He was no public speaker, having never practised, but his powers of conversation were somewhat remarkable - fluent always, sometimes brilliant, and generally, at once, attractive and instructive. He was a very ready writer, using some diversity of style, but generally clear, terse and pungent. His habits were very retired his friends few, but strong and abiding. "
On March 4, 1819, he had married Nancy Opie Ball, daughter of Col. John S. Ball of St. Louis County.