Joseph Henry Lumpkin

Joseph Henry Lumpkin (December 23, 1799 – June 4, 1867) was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. state of Georgia.

[1] While ambivalent on the topic of slavery early in his life, he was a slaveholder and eventually became a devout defender of the institution.

After studying law under the tutelage of Thomas W. Cobb, Lumpkin was admitted to the state bar in 1820, and he began practicing in Lexington, Georgia.

[2] After serving two terms in the Georgia General Assembly, 1824–1825, Lumpkin turned his full attention to his legal career.

He also believed that slavery was sanctioned by the Bible and often cited religious arguments to support continuation of that institution.