What is Ninian Edwards?
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Ninian Edwards |image = Ninian.Edwards.png |signature=Ninian Edwards Signature.svg |order = 3rd |office = Governor of Illinois |term_start = December 6, 1826 |term_end = December 6, 1830 |lieutenant = William Kinney |predecessor = [[Edward Coles]] |successor = [[John Reynolds (U.S. politician)|John Reynolds]] |order2 = [[United States Senator]]<br />from [[Illinois]] |term_start2 = December 3, 1818 |term_end2 = March 4, 1824 |predecessor2 = None |successor2 = [[John McLean (Illinois politician)|John McLean]] |office3 = [[List of Governors of Illinois|Governor of Illinois Territory]] |term_start3 = June 11, 1809 |term_end3 = October 6, 1818 |predecessor3 = None |successor3 = [[Shadrach Bond]] <br><small>as Governor of Illinois</small> |birth_date = {{birth date|1775|3|17|mf=y}} |birth_place = [[Montgomery County, Maryland]] |death_date = {{death date and age|1833|7|20|1775|3|17|mf=y}} |death_place = [[Belleville, Illinois]] |party = [[Democratic-Republican Party (United States)|Democratic-Republican]] |spouse = Elvira Lane |children=Ninian, [[Albert Gallatin Edwards|Albert]], [[Benjamin S. Edwards|Benjamin]], Julia |profession = |religion = }} '''Ninian Edwards''' (March 17, 1775 &ndash; July 20, 1833) was a founding political figure of the state of [[Illinois]]. He was the only governor of the [[Illinois Territory]] from 1809 to 1818. He was one of the first two [[List of United States Senators from Illinois|United States Senators from Illinois]] (from 1818 to 1824). He was the third [[Governor of Illinois]] (from 1826 to 1830). In a time and place where personal coalitions were more influential than parties, Edwards led one of the two main factions in frontier Illinois politics.<ref>Richard J. Jensen (1978), ''Illinois: A History'', [[University of Illinois Press]], 27.</ref> Edwards was born on March 17, 1775 in [[Montgomery County, Maryland]]. He was married to Elvira Lane until his death in 1833. They had four children.