Davis Floyd was an Indiana Jeffersonian Republican politician who was convicted of aiding American Vice President Aaron Burr in the Burr conspiracy.
39 Facts About Davis Floyd
1.
2.
Davis Floyd was born in 1776 to Robert and Lillian Floyd in Virginia.
3.
Davis Floyd served briefly as 2nd Lieutenant of the Jefferson County militia.
4.
Davis Floyd married his first wife Susanna Johnston Lewis in Jefferson County in 1794.
5.
Davis Floyd had three children by Susannah, Gabriel Jones, Charles, and Elizabeth.
6.
Davis Floyd ferried boats through the Falls of the Ohio rapids until 1808.
7.
Davis Floyd was elected as a Clark County delegate to the territory's slavery convention in 1802, and the convention set in motion events that attempted to legalize slavery and indentured servitude in the Indiana Territory.
8.
Davis Floyd became the Sheriff of Clark County in 1803 and served until 1806.
9.
Davis Floyd was elected to the Indiana Territorial Legislature in an 1805 special election; the legislature had been reduced to five members when the Michigan Territory was detached.
10.
Davis Floyd was generally at odds with the rest of the legislature, he was the only anti-slavery representative during his term.
11.
In 1805, while a territorial legislator, Davis Floyd became involved in the plot of Aaron Burr.
12.
Davis Floyd failed and the investors lost their money, which was believed to have been used to help finance Burr's plot.
13.
Davis Floyd had an initial investment of $120,000 and handled over one million dollars during its duration.
14.
Davis Floyd had committed to Aaron Burr that he would raise a regiment of soldiers to support his cause of illegally invading Mexico.
15.
Davis Floyd fled Louisiana and returned to Indiana where he was captured.
16.
Davis Floyd was however charged a $20 fine and imprisoned for 3 hours.
17.
Some believe that Davis Floyd was unaware of Burr's larger plot but much of the public at the time considered him a "conscientious traitor".
18.
Davis Floyd served as secretary of the convention which issued a resolution to oppose the new laws passed by the pro-slavery legislature.
19.
Davis Floyd left Clark County that year and moved into Harrison County.
20.
Davis Floyd was the widow of Thomas Terry Davis, the judge of Davis's treason trial.
21.
Davis Floyd had one son, Robert, and a step daughter, Elizabeth, by his second wife.
22.
When hostilities broke out with the Indians in 1811, Davis Floyd was reinstated in the militia to the rank of lieutenant.
23.
Davis Floyd was part of a company of dragoons under the command of Major Parkes.
24.
Davis Floyd was instrumental in conducting negotiations to prevent the Delaware Tribe from joining the Shawnee's war.
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Davis Floyd was responsible for relocating the capital to Corydon from Vincennes.
26.
Davis Floyd sought out contractors to build the new capitol building and finally selected Dennis Pennington, a leading man in the Territorial Legislature.
27.
In 1816, Davis Floyd was elected as a delegate to the Indiana Constitution Convention The same year, he was elected as Harrison County's representative to the first state legislature.
28.
On November 22,1816, during his term as a legislator, Davis Floyd proposed the official acceptance of the design the state seal.
29.
Davis Floyd described the seal as A forest and a woodman felling a tree, a buffalo leaving the forest and fleeing through the plain to a distant forest, and sun in the west with the word Indiana The seal itself had been in use already and was probably designed by William Henry Harrison.
30.
That year Davis Floyd's company was awarded contracts to build the state executive buildings in Corydon.
31.
Davis Floyd built a new home for himself in Corydon in 1817, the home was later occupied by Governor and later Senator William Hendricks.
32.
Davis Floyd participated in creating a masonic Grand Lodge in Coryon in 1817.
33.
Davis Floyd built a home in Corydon, Indiana in 1817 and opened a general store in 1818, but in the Panic of 1819 Davis Floyd lost most of his fortune, his store, and his home.
34.
Davis Floyd's home was later bought by Governor William Hendricks and is a part of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site.
35.
Davis Floyd unsuccessfully tried to re-enter politics in 1822 but was defeated in the congressional election by the popular Jonathan Jennings.
36.
Davis Floyd held his first session to settle disputes on August 4,1823.
37.
Davis Floyd first settled in Alachua County in 1823 but had moved to Leon County by 1830.
38.
Davis Floyd served as mayor of St Augustine, Florida in 1826 and as treasurer of the Florida Territorial Council from 1826 to 1828.
39.
In 1831 Davis Floyd served as president of the Education Society, which sought to promote public education in Florida.