John G. Downey

John G. Downey

John Gately Downey (born June 24, 1827 in County Roscommon , Ireland , † March 1, 1894 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American politician and from 1860 to 1862 the seventh Governor of California . Until Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected in 2003, he was the only California governor who was not born in the United States .

Early years

Downey grew up in Ireland until he was 14. In 1842 the family emigrated to America and settled in Maryland . Two years later, the now 16-year-old Downey went into business for himself and began an apprenticeship in a pharmacy in Washington, which was limited to 1846 . His next work he found in Cincinnati ( Ohio ), where he worked as a druggist. When gold was found in California , he made a detour to the west, where he arrived in 1849. After a few stops in San Francisco , he moved to Los Angeles, where he was a successful businessman. His main focus was on property trading and livestock. Around the same time he discovered his interest in politics and became a member of the Los Angeles City Council.

Political rise

Downey was a member of the Democratic Party and initially supported its south wing, the faction that was close to the southern states in the run-up to the civil war . For this faction he was a member of the California State Assembly from 1856 to 1857 . In the gubernatorial election of 1859, he was elected lieutenant governor of California. When Governor Milton Latham resigned after just five days to become a US Senator in Congress in Washington, Downey took his place and was sworn in as the seventh Governor of California on January 14, 1860.

Governor of California

Official portrait as governor

During his tenure there was a conflict over a controversial port law that the state parliament had passed by a majority. This so-called “Bulkhead Bill” was highly controversial in the state. The law intended to privatize the port area of ​​San Francisco and give it into the hands of monopolists. The big capitalists were on fire for this law, while the middle class, smaller traders and the general public were strongly against it. To everyone's surprise, Governor Downey vetoed the bill. He considered the law to be inconstitutional and morally unjust. He also feared serious damage to Californian exports and imports. This veto made his popularity peak in San Francisco and throughout California. When he visited San Francisco a little later, he was enthusiastically cheered and hailed as a hero. On the other hand, the law's advocates could not forgive him for his behavior. When the presidential elections of 1860 came up, the rifts reopened within the Democratic Party. The north wing supported Stephen A. Douglas , while the south wing supported John C. Breckinridge . This time Governor Downey moved to the North Wing and supported Douglas in his unsuccessful candidacy against Abraham Lincoln .

Downey's grave in Colma , California

When the civil war broke out, he promised the Union his support. However, this promise turned out to be very vague. He was rather passive on the war issue, but at least he kept California in the Union. His popularity, which he had acquired in the dispute over the port law, had vanished by the time of the next gubernatorial election. His Democrats were still divided; Downey had now also lost the support of the north wing and was no longer nominated.

Another résumé

After the end of his political career, he retired to Southern California . In 1871 he was one of the founders of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Los Angeles. And in 1879 he helped found the University of Southern California . Downey was married to Maria Jesus Guirado. The couple were victims of a railway accident in 1883. While Downey was rescued from the burning rubble, his wife was missing. Mentally, Downey never really got through this shock. He then got engaged to the 32 years younger writer Yda Hillis Addis . His sisters thought the bride was an inheritance stalker. For this reason, they abducted her brother to Ireland without further ado. Later he got married again to Rosa Kelly. Downey died on March 1, 1894 at his Los Angeles home.

Web links

• John Downey at the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography at the California State Library (English)
• John G. Downey in the database of Find a Grave (English)