Edgar Snowden given name Edgar
Edgar Snowden Sr. (December 21, 1810  – September 24, 1875) was a Virginia politician who served as mayor of Alexandria D.C. and represented Alexandria in the Virginia House of Delegates.Early life and family
Edgar Snowden was born on December 21, 1810. Snowden attended law school and briefly worked as an attorney. He married Louisa Grymes (1814 –1897) and they had eleven children, including Edgar Snowden Jr., a member of the Virginia Senate.Political career
Snowden was active in local politics in Alexandria, and served on the city's Common Council for five years. From 1840 to 1843, Snowden served as mayor of Alexandria. During his time as mayor, he advocated for the retrocession of Alexandria to Virginia, which was approved in 1846.After the retrocession of the City of Alexandria and Alexandria County back to Virginia, Snowden served several terms as Alexandria's representative in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1846 to 1853. In 1850, Snowden was elected to serve as a representative to the Virginia Constitutional Convention.
Snowden was pro-slavery and threatened abolitionist publishers William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan with lynching should they visit Alexandria.In 1853, Snowden was the Whig party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives for Virginia's 7th congressional district, but was defeated by William "Extra-Billy" Smith.
In 1857, Snowden ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Virginia against incumbent Extra-Billy Smith.
first name forename given title personal name