| 1795 March 3 |
Born in Maury County, Tennessee. His father is James White and mother Mary Wilcox. |
| 1799 | The family moves to St. Martin Parish where his father is a district judge. |
| 1815 | Graduates from the University of Nashville and studies law under Alexander Porter. Afterward he begins a law practice in Donaldsonville. |
| 1825 | Moves to New Orleans and appointed by Henry S. Johnson as an Associate Judge of the New Orleans Municipal Court. |
| 1828 | Resigns to become a sugar planter in Lafourche Parish. |
| 1829-1835 | Wins election, over Edward Livingston, to a seat in Congress with the help of Alexander Porter, who is now a Louisiana Supreme Court Justice and Henry S. Johnson, who is governor. White is also a personal friend of Henry Clay. He will serve until his run for the governors office. |
| 1833 | While on the campaign trail White escapes death by an explosion on the Red River steamboat Lioness l. |
| 1834 | 1834 Resigns his seat in Congress to run for Governor since Roman cannot succeed himself. He backs Henry Clay’s Compromise Tariff which reduces protection of the sugar industry. |
| 1834 September 22 |
Marries Catherine Sidney Lee Ringold, daughter of Tench Ringold, Marshal of the Federal District under presidents Madison and Monroe. They will have five children including James who becomes a prominent physician and Edward Jr. who becomes a Supreme Court Justice of the U.S. in 1894 and Chief Justice in 1910. |
| 1834 | Jacksonian leader Martin Gordon brings together the Custom
House Demos with the Floridian Demos to support John B. Dawson of West Feliciana
Parish over the Denis Prieur and John Slidell factions when Gordon has expelled
from the Democratic party. Dawson is a foppish poseur given to effusive
expression. He is aided by his brother-in-law Isaac
Johnson and crony William S. Hamilton. White is supported by the Clay faction as well as Jacksonian Creoles. White takes every parish south of the Red River, including Orleans Parish. The Demos sweep the Florida parishes and North Louisiana, except for Avoyelles and Concordia parishes. White wins 6,506 to 4,149. |
| 1835-1839 February 2 |
White takes office and his administration is marked by bitter quarrels over patronage. Other events during this time include the Panic of 1837, the Texas independence movement, the Seminole Wars in Florida. The Native American political movement in Louisiana, led by Democrat William Christy brings years of divisiveness and violence to the state. |
| 1835-1836 | The financial boom during these years is unparalleled in Louisiana. Making their appearance this year: two new railroads, the St. Charles Hotel, the St. Louis Hotel, and gas street lighting. Six new banks are chartered. The flood of new currency issued by these banks causes inflation. White vetoes the charter of the Farmer’s Bank. The new tariff on sugar convinces many plantations to begin planting cotton. |
| 1837 | White signs a charter for the Medical College of Louisiana which becomes Tulane Medical School. |
| 1837 May 13 and 14 |
New Orleans banks suspend specie payments. |
| 1839-1843 | Runs for Congress and will win two more terms. He works for the construction of the New Orleans Mint. |
| 1843 | White retires to his plantation and law practice near Thibodaux. |
| 1847 April 18 |
Dies at his plantation |