John Jordan Crittenden served as U.S. attorney general in 1841 under President William Henry Harrison and again in 1850 under President Millard Fillmore. Crittenden spent over forty years in public office, serving for many years in various Kentucky state offices as well as in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Crittenden was born on September 10, 1787, in Woodford County, Kentucky. He attended William and Mary College, graduating in 1807. Crittenden set up a law practice in Kentucky but moved to the Illinois Territory in 1809 to serve as the territory's attorney general. He later served as a volunteer in the War of 1812. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, however, Crittenden was elected to the Kentucky state legislature. His political fortunes continued to rise, and in 1816, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Despite achieving this political plum, Crittenden did not like national politics. He quit his office and returned...