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John J. Crittenden, in full John Jordan Crittenden, (born Sept. 10, 1787, near Versailles, Ky., U.S.—died July 26, 1863, Frankfort, Ky.), American statesman best known for the so-called Crittenden Compromise (q.v.), his attempt to resolve sectional differences on the eve of the American Civil War.

Senator John J. Crittenden, a Kentucky Whig and disciple of Henry Clay, proposed six constitutional amendments and four resolutions. The amendments made major concessions to southern concerns.

December 1860 - March 2, 1861. Key People: John J. Crittenden. See all related content →. Crittenden Compromise, (1860–61), in U.S. history, series of measures intended to forestall the American Civil War, futilely proposed in Congress by Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky in December 1860.

For John J. Crittenden, the integrity of the Union came before all else. Born in 1787 in Kentucky, Crittenden would go to have a distinguished a career as anyone in politics. Having gone to college at William and Mary, he passed the bar in 1807 and set up his legal practice in his home state of Kentucky, where he quickly rose to prominence.

The Crittenden Compromise was the creation of John J. Crittenden, a 74-year-old slaveholder and Democratic senator from Kentucky, who emerged with a compromise that he claimed would end the ...