John Brough

John Brough

John Brough (born September 17, 1811 in Marietta , Ohio , †  August 29, 1865 in Cleveland , Ohio) was an American politician and from 1864 to 1865 the 26th  governor of the state of Ohio.

Early years and political advancement

At the age of eleven, John Brough was orphaned after the death of his parents. In order to earn a living, he completed an apprenticeship in the printing trade. On the side he studied at Ohio University , but without a degree. In the newspaper business, he soon rose to be a successful businessman. Between 1831 and 1833 he published the Western Republican of Marietta newspaper. Despite its name, this newspaper was close to the Democratic Party and President Andrew Jackson . Then Brough and his brother bought the Ohio Eagle newspaper in Lancaster , which was also close to the Democrats.

Between 1835 and 1837, Brough was a protocolist ( clerk ) in the Ohio Senate . He also took advantage of this position as a journalist and wrote articles about the political events. Between 1838 and 1839 he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives . There he became chairman of the banking and currency committee. Between 1839 and 1845 he was an auditor ( auditor ) for the state of Ohio.

Between 1845 and his election as governor in 1863, Brough played no significant political role. He continued to work as a newspaper publisher and from 1848 he was also President of the Madison and Indianapolis Railway . With the outbreak of the civil war , Broughs' political attitude changed. He left the Democratic Party, but also remained reserved about the Republicans . But he campaigned for the preservation of the Union and thus became a candidate of the National Union Party for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in 1863, which he then won.

Governor of ohio

John Brough took up his new office on January 11, 1864. During his tenure, conditions in the military hospitals were improved. A new system for the promotion of civil servants was introduced and a special tax was introduced, the proceeds of which were used to compensate the families of the war victims. At the beginning of his reign, the Civil War was still in full swing and the governor supported the war effort of the federal government under President Abraham Lincoln . He had more troops raised, which then strengthened the Union army. In 1864 he supported Lincoln's presidential campaign. After Salmon P. Chase stepped down as Treasury Secretary , Brough was also under discussion as a possible successor. But he preferred to remain governor of Ohio.

After the end of the war in April 1865, Ohio's economy had to be cut back to normal. Politically, the National Union Party, an alliance of Republicans and a wing of Democrats, dissolved again and the Republicans were again clearly in the majority in Ohio. Governor Brough had already announced on June 15, 1865 that he would not seek a second term of his own accord. But he added that he would accept a nomination. Later that summer, the governor was injured in a fall. A gangrene developed from which he died in August 1865. Lieutenant Governor Charles Anderson had to end his remaining term. John Brough was married twice and had a total of six children.

Web links

• John Brough in the National Governors Association (English)
• Central Ohio History (English)

• John Brough in the database of Find a Grave (English)