Henry Gardner

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Henry Gardner

Henry Joseph Gardner (born June 14, 1818 in Boston , Massachusetts ; † July 21, 1892 ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Massachusetts from 1855 to 1858 .

Early years and political advancement

Henry Gardner attended Phillips Academy and then Bowdoin College until 1838 . Then he built a trading business in Boston. Between 1850 and 1854 he was a city councilor in Boston and from 1851 to 1852 a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives . In 1853 he was a member of a commission to revise the state constitution of Massachusetts. Gardner belonged to the Know-Nothing Party , as the candidate of which he was elected governor of his state on November 13, 1854.

Massachusetts Governor

After he was confirmed in each of the following years, Gardner could serve between January 4, 1855 and January 6, 1858 as governor. During his tenure, the naturalization laws in Massachusetts were tightened and the electoral laws were reformed. His term of office was overshadowed by the national conflict between the northern and southern states in the run-up to the civil war. Governor Gardner refused to dismiss a judge who had sent a fugitive slave back into slavery in Virginia while the public and the legislature massively demanded that dismissal. Only Gardner's successor in office, Nathaniel Prentiss Banks , then took this step.

Another résumé

When the attempt at re-election in 1857 failed, Gardner withdrew from politics. He returned to his business interests and later got into the insurance business. Gardner died in July 1892. He had seven children with his wife, Helen Elizabeth Cobb.

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personal data
SURNAME Gardner, Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gardner, Henry Joseph (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 14, 1818
PLACE OF BIRTH Boston , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH July 21, 1892