Editing John C. Breckinridge (section)

==Early legal career==
Breckinridge remained in Lexington while deciding where to begin practice, borrowing law books from the library of John J. Crittenden, Thomas Crittenden's father.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=99}} Deciding that Lexington was overcrowded with lawyers, he moved to Frankfort, but was unable to find an office. After being spurned by a love interest, former classmate Thomas W. Bullock and he departed for the [[Iowa Territory]] on October 10, 1841, seeking better opportunities.{{sfn|Davis|2010|pp=21–22}} They considered settling on land Breckinridge had inherited in [[Jacksonville, Illinois]], but they found the [[Bar (law)|bar]] stocked with able men such as [[Stephen A. Douglas]] and [[Abraham Lincoln]].{{sfn|Davis|2010|p=22}} They continued on to [[Burlington, Iowa]], and by the winter of 1842–1843, Breckinridge reported to family members that his firm handled more cases than almost any other in Burlington.{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=12}} Influenced by Bullock and the citizens of Iowa, he identified with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], and by February 1843, he had been named to the Democratic committee of [[Des Moines County, Iowa|Des Moines County]].{{sfn|Heck|1976|pp=13–14}} Most of the Kentucky Breckinridges were [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]], and when he learned of his nephew's party affiliation, William Breckinridge declared, "I felt as I would have done if I had heard that my daughter had been dishonored."{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=14}}

Breckinridge visited Kentucky in May 1843.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=102}} His efforts to mediate between his mother and the Breckinridges extended his visit, and after he contracted [[influenza]], he decided to remain for the summer rather than returning to Iowa's colder climate.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=102}} He met Bullock's cousin, [[Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge|Mary Cyrene Burch]], and by September, they were engaged.{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=102}} In October, Breckinridge went to Iowa to close out his business, then returned to Kentucky and formed a law partnership with Samuel Bullock, Thomas's cousin.{{sfn|Davis|2010|p=29}}{{sfn|Heck|1976|p=16}} He married on December 12, 1843, and settled in [[Georgetown, Kentucky]].{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=102}} The couple had six children – Joseph Cabell (b. 1844), [[Clifton R. Breckinridge|Clifton Rodes]] (b. 1846; later a Congressman from [[Arkansas]]), Frances (b. 1848), John Milton (b. 1849), [[John Witherspoon Breckinridge|John Witherspoon]] (b. 1850), and Mary Desha (b. 1854).{{sfn|Klotter|1986|p=102}} Gaining confidence in his ability as a lawyer, Breckinridge moved his family back to Lexington in 1845 and formed a partnership with future U.S. Senator [[James B. Beck]].<ref name="Dictionary of America Biography: John Cabell Breckinridge">{{cite web |url = http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=UHIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&source=&sortBy=&displayGroups=&search_within_results=&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CBT2310017198&userGroupName=madi17239&jsid=ce54a700ef0b50d8bfbfee57cfea6f45 |title = Dictionary of America Biography: John Cabell Breckinridge |date = 1936 |publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons |access-date = November 20, 2012 |archive-date = February 9, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200209140728/http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=UHIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&source=&sortBy=&displayGroups=&search_within_results=&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CBT2310017198&userGroupName=madi17239&jsid=ce54a700ef0b50d8bfbfee57cfea6f45 |url-status = live }}</ref>