John J. Jacob

John J. Jacob

John Jeremiah Jacob (born December 9, 1829 in Hampshire County , Virginia , †  November 24, 1893 in Wheeling , West Virginia ) was an American politician and from 1871 to 1877 the fourth governor of the state of West Virginia.

Early years and political advancement

John Jacob was born in Hampshire County, later West Virginia. He graduated from Dickinson College in 1849 and then studied law. After graduating, he became a lawyer and lecturer at the University of Missouri . He held this position between 1853 and 1860. During the Civil War he was a lawyer in Missouri . After the war, he opened a law firm in Romney, West Virginia. Jacob began his political ascent in 1869. That year the Democrat was elected to the West Virginia House of Representatives. In 1870 he won the election for governor of his state. He owed this indirectly to his predecessor and opponent William E. Stevenson . During his tenure, he had granted the former supporters of the Confederation the right to vote again. A majority of these voters now voted for the Democrats and thus for Jacob.

West Virginia Governor

John Jacobs' six-year term began on March 4, 1871. During his time, the state's constitution was revised. The first constitution of 1863 was still too marked by the civil war and the contrast between the northern and southern states. The new constitution extended the governor's term of office from two to four years, but prohibited two consecutive terms. Jacob was allowed to be re-elected because his first two-year term was still under the old constitution. The power of the legislature was somewhat restricted in the new constitution compared to the old one. Jacob also lifted the final restrictions on the former Confederacy. He campaigned for an improved school system, which became the basis of the school system that is still valid today (even if many reforms have since been added). Teacher training was also promoted in this context. In the field of health care, new institutions for the mentally handicapped were created.

He owed his re-election in 1872 to the Independent Party , a short-lived political group that had fallen away from the Democrats. In 1875, the state's capital was temporarily relocated from Charleston to Wheeling. Only a few years earlier, Charleston had been made capital. The question of the capital was finally decided in favor of Charleston in a referendum in 1877. From 1885 Charleston was the permanent capital of West Virginia.

Another résumé

After his tenure ended on March 4, 1877, Jacob first devoted himself to his private interests. In 1879 he was re-elected to the state parliament. Between 1882 and 1888 he was a district judge. After that he was a lawyer again until his death in 1893. John Jacob was married to Jane Baird. They had two children together.

Web links

• John J. Jacob in the database of the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of West Virginia (English)
• John J. Jacob in the database of Find a Grave (English)