[3] Lyon moved to Marengo County, Alabama, in 1817 to live with his uncle George Gaines and was admitted to the bar in 1821.

From 1845 to 1853, Lyon served as a commissioner in charge of administering the bankrupt state banking system.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected, Lyon called for Alabama to secede from the United States.

It lowered taxes, reduced spending on public services including education, and prevented illiterate voters from receiving support in accessing ballots.

[2] Following the collapse of the Confederacy in the spring of 1865, Lyon eventually returned home and resumed his legal career.