Anthony Colby (politician)

Anthony Colby

Anthony Colby (born November 13, 1792 in New London , Merrimack County , New Hampshire , † July 13, 1873 ) was an American politician and governor of the state of New Hampshire from 1846 to 1847 .

Early years and political advancement

Colby attended local schools in his home country. He then began a successful business career. Among other things, he was involved in the establishment of a stagecoach line between Hanover and Lowell ( Massachusetts ). He also built a flour mill and was involved in setting up a scythe and mowing business. Mowers, especially scythes, were urgently needed in agriculture at that time. At the same time Colby made a career in the militia of his state. There he held the rank of ensign in 1814 . By 1837 he had risen to major general .

Colby was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives between 1828 and 1832 and between 1837 and 1839 . He became a member of the Whig Party . In the years 1833 and 1835 he applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the US House of Representatives . His candidacies for governor of New Hampshire from 1843 to 1845 were equally unsuccessful.

Governor of New Hampshire and another résumé

In 1846 he was elected as the new governor of his state. Anthony Colby began his one-year term on June 4, 1846. This period was overshadowed by the events of the Mexican-American War , to which New Hampshire also had to contribute. Approval for the war was by no means unanimous in New Hampshire. In 1846 the legislature rejected the war and its support. A year later she agreed with a very narrow majority. In 1847 Colby ran unsuccessfully for re-election. Therefore he had to give up his office on June 3, 1847. He then withdrew from politics for a while before becoming a member of the House of Representatives of his state again between 1860 and 1861. Anthony Colby was also the founder and sponsor of Colby-Sawyer College . He was also the curator of Dartmouth College for twenty years . Anthony Colby died on July 13, 1873 and was buried in New London. He was married twice and had three children in total.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 3, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Anthony Colby in the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography of New Hampshire (English)