Howell Cobb

Howell Cobb was born in 1815 in Jefferson County, Georgia. He pursued legal studies and was admitted to the bar in 1836, subsequently serving as a presidential elector. Cobb's educational background includes time at Franklin College, now the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society. He began his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives, eventually becoming Speaker of the House. Cobb also served as Governor of Georgia and Secretary of the Treasury under President James Buchanan. His military career included significant roles in the Confederate Army, culminating in his command of the Georgia Reserve Corps during the Atlanta campaign.

Howell Cobb's political identity is marked by a staunch defense of slavery and a strategic approach to regional economic interests. He advocated for extending slavery into the territories while simultaneously opposing the enlistment of slaves in the Confederate Army, revealing a calculated approach to maintaining the Confederacy’s moral high ground. His support for the Compromise of 1850 as a Union Democrat underscores an ideological flexibility that belies his rigid stance on slavery.