John Reynolds

Who was John Reynolds?

John Reynolds was a United States politician from the state of Illinois. He was one of the original four justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, 1818–1825, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1826–1830, 1846–1848, and 1852–1854, and the 4th Illinois Governor from 1830–1834. He also represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives, 1834–1837 and 1839–1843.

Reynolds was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His father, Robert Reynolds and his mother, née Margaret Moore, were both natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785, arriving first at Philadelphia. When Reynolds was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him to Tennessee, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles northeast of the present city of Knoxville. After experiencing harassment from Native Americans fighting encroachment by white settlers upon their territory, the Reynolds moved into the interior of the state. They were poor, and brought up their children to habits of manual industry.