Ansel Briggs

Ansel Briggs (born February 3, 1806 in Shoreham , Vermont , † May 5, 1881 in Omaha , Nebraska ) was an American politician and from 1846 to 1850 the first governor of Iowa .

Early years and political advancement

Ansel Briggs attended local schools in his home in Vermont and the Norwich Academy in Connecticut . Via Ohio he came to what is now Iowa. There he initially worked as a mail deliverer and stagecoach driver. From 1842 the Democrat Briggs was politically active in Iowa. That year he was elected to the Iowa Territory House of Representatives, where he remained until 1846. At the same time he was also sheriff for one term in Jackson County . In 1846, Iowa joined the United States as a new state, and Briggs was elected as his party's first governor.

Governor of Iowa

Ansel Briggs took up his new office on December 28, 1846. During his four-year term in office, administrative structures first had to be set up in the new federal state. This included the government apparatus and the school system. Finally, there was also a border dispute with Missouri , which was settled in 1848.

Another résumé

Briggs tenure ended on December 4, 1850. He then retired from politics to pursue his own business. Later he was temporarily based in Nebraska. There he was instrumental in founding the town of Florence , which later became a district of Omaha. Ansel Briggs died on May 5, 1881 in Omaha and was initially buried there. In 1909 his remains were transferred to Andrew , Iowa and reburied in the local cemetery. Ansel Briggs was married twice and had a total of eight children.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Briggs, Ansel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Governor of Iowa
DATE OF BIRTH	February 3, 1806
PLACE OF BIRTH	Shoreham , Vermont
DATE OF DEATH	May 5, 1881
Place of death	Omaha , Nebraska