Archibald Atkinson (September 15, 1792 – January 7, 1872) was a 19th Century American lawyer and slave owner[1] who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from Virginia from 1843 to 1849.
Born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Atkinson received a liberal education.
He served during the War of 1812 and was later admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Smithfield, Virginia.
In a valedictory speech to Congress in 1849, he described slavery as a "positive moral good" for those enslaved, claimed that the "well-fed, well-clad, contented negro of Virginia asks not your sympathy for him," and falsely claimed that slaves would rise up against abolitionists.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress