John M. Reynolds[2] (February 26, 1788 – May 8, 1865) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Illinois who served in all three governmental branches.

[1] His father, Robert Reynolds and his mother, née Margaret Moore, were both natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785, arriving first at Philadelphia.

When Reynolds was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him to Tennessee, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles (23 km) northeast of the present city of Knoxville.

In 1807 the family made another move, this time to the Goshen Settlement, at the foot of the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River southwest of Edwardsville.

[4] At the age of twenty, Reynolds attended college for two years near Knoxville, Tennessee, where he had relatives, taking courses in classical studies.

[4] With the ranks of private and orderly sergeant, Reynolds served as a scout in campaigns against the western Native Americans during the War of 1812.

[4] On November 17, 1834, Reynolds resigned as governor, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives[1] for the Twenty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Slade.

[4] In 1839 Reynolds was appointed one of the Canal Commissioners[clarification needed] and traveled to Philadelphia to raise funds for that purpose.

[4] This was done by Reynolds with the hope of winning the votes of the growing number of Latter-day Saints in Illinois in latter political contests.

[1] In 1860, aged and infirm, Reynolds attended the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, as an anti-Douglas delegate, instead supporting John C. Breckinridge in the U.S. presidential election.