Charles L. Robinson

Charles L. Robinson

Charles Lawrence Robinson (born July 21, 1818 in Hardwick , Worcester County , Massachusetts , †  August 17, 1894 in Douglas County , Kansas ) was an American politician and from 1861 to 1863 the first governor of the state of Kansas.

Early years

Charles Robinson attended Amherst College and Berkshire Medical School , where he studied medicine until his graduation in 1843. He then worked as a doctor in Belchertown and later in Springfield . In doing so, he gained a good reputation as a specialist in chronic diseases. In 1847 he moved his practice to Fitchburg . In the wake of the gold rush , Robinson moved to California in 1849 . He settled in Sacramento , where he opened a restaurant and published a newspaper. Robinson stood up for the settlers there and soon won their respect. When the settlers became violent, the mayor of Sacramento was murdered and Robinson was wounded. In this context he was accused of high treason and murder as an accomplice in the riots, but was acquitted after a few weeks.

Political rise

Robinson's political career began in California. There he was elected to the House of Representatives for one year in 1850 , where he became a supporter of John C. Frémont , who was then appointed US Senator . In July 1851, Robinson decided to return to Fitchburg. There he worked both as a doctor and as a newspaper publisher. At that time, in addition to the national question between the northern and southern states, the development in the Kansas Territory was in the focus of public interest throughout the United States. After the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in early 1854, there had been repeated bloody riots between supporters and opponents of slavery . Robinson, who had also passed through Kansas on his way to California, reported in his newspaper about the events and then decided to move to this area himself. On June 28, 1854, he made his way to his new home in Kansas. There he quickly became a committed fighter for the anti-slavery movement. This put him in the middle of the argument. He was attacked by his opponents, imprisoned and his home destroyed. On the other hand, he was very popular with his political friends.

Kansas Governor

The first gubernatorial elections were held in Kansas on December 6, 1860, before joining the Union. Charles Robinson was elected to this office as the Republican Party candidate . He clearly defeated former Territorial Governor Samuel Medary . Robinson waited before taking office until the state had joined the Union. He did not take up his new office until February 9, 1861. Robinson had a difficult task ahead of him. A functioning administration and a legal system had to be established in the new federal state. In November 1861, Topeka was designated as the new permanent capital of the state. At the same time, the civil war that officially broke out in April 1861 determined political events at that time. Kansas officially sided with the Union in that war, and many of the state's citizens fought in the US Army. But there were also supporters from the South who left the country and joined the Confederation army. There was also fighting with guerrillas from the south in the Kansas area.

Robinson also had other domestic problems. His opponents, especially Senator James Henry Lane from his own party, accused him of some offenses; Among them was the charge that he had sold Kansas government bonds for less. A lawsuit brought against him, however, was not legally successful because Robinson was acquitted. However, the matter damaged his political career. That was one of the reasons for his defeat in the next gubernatorial election in 1862.

Another résumé

After retiring from governor's office, Robinson served in the Kansas Senate between 1873 and 1881 . After the argument with Senator Lane, Robinson left the Republican Party. In his later years he supported the Democratic Party . In 1886 he applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Congress ; In 1890 an attempt to be re-elected governor failed. From 1887 to 1889 he was director of the Haskell Institute in Lawrence ; he also served on the Board of Directors of the University of Kansas for twelve years . Charles Robinson died in 1894. He had two children with his wife Sara.

Web links

Wikisource: Charles L. Robinson  - Sources and full texts (English)

• Kansas State Historical Society (English)

• Charles L. Robinson in the database of Find a Grave (English)