Frederick Bates (23 June 1777-4 August 1825) was the Democratic-Republican Governor of Missouri from 15 November 1824 to 4 August 1825, succeeding Alexander McNair and preceding Abraham J. Williams.
Biography[]
Frederick Bates was born in Goochland County, Virginia in 1777 to a family of planters; he was the brother of Edward Bates and James Woodson Bates. He settled in Detroit in 1797 and became its first postmaster in 1803. He worked as an attorney and helped to uncover Aaron Burr's conspiracy to establish an independent country in the American Southwest, resulting in his promotion to Secretary of the Louisiana Territory in 1807; he served until 1812, and then as Secretary of the Missouri Territory from 1812 to 1821. In 1824, he was elected Governor of Missouri, but he died in office a year later.