Image: Wikimedia Commons

John P. Gaines

American politician (1795-1857)

PersonDied aged 62humanQ889406

Also known as John Pollard Gaines

Born: September 22, 1795
2
Sources
1.Stated in SNACRetrieved 2017-10-09
2.Stated in Find a GraveRetrieved 2017-10-09
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Died: December 9, 1857
2
Sources
1.Stated in SNACRetrieved 2017-10-09
2.Stated in Find a GraveRetrieved 2017-10-09
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Birthplace: Augusta
Place of death: Salem
Citizenship: United States
Occupation: politician
, lawyer
Positions held: United States representative
Languages spoken, written or signed: English

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

John Pollard Gaines was a U.S. military and political figure. He was a Whig member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kentucky from 1847 to 1849, and he served as Governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853, stepping down after a turbulent term in office. He was the owner of Margaret Garner, whose enslavement and sexual assault is the basis for Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved.

Overview

All data

38 statements · 13% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Sex or gender: male
Member of political party: Whig Party
Given name: John
Participated in conflict: Mexican-American War
War of 1812
Work location: Washington, D.C.
Place of burial: Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Family name: Gaines
Social classification: slave owner
1
Sources
1.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2022/congress-slaveowners-names-list/
View statement on Wikidata ↗

On other databases

19 identifiers linking John P. Gaines across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

13%

externally sourced

Source last edited July 16, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). John P. Gaines (Q889406). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/john-p-gaines-Q889406