John Pollard Gaines

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John Pollard Gaines

John Pollard Gaines (born September 22, 1795 in Augusta , Hampshire County , Virginia , †  December 9, 1857 in Salem , Oregon ) was an American politician and governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853 .

Early years and political advancement

John Gaines was born in what is now West Virginia . His family moved to Boone County , Kentucky, in his early teens . There he attended the local schools. After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he began practicing his new profession in Walton . In 1812 he volunteered in the war against the British .

In the 1820s and 1830s, Gaines was a member of both Houses of the Kentucky General Assembly several times . In the 1830s he became a member of the Whig Party . Gaines also took part in the Mexican-American War (1845-1848). There he was temporarily on the staff of General Winfield Scott . In the meantime he was taken prisoner in Mexico. During this time he was elected as a Whigs candidate for the US House of Representatives in Kentucky . He stayed there from 1847 to 1849.

Governor of the Oregon Territory

After his re-election to Congress failed, he was appointed the new Territorial Governor of Oregon by the new US President Zachary Taylor , who was not only a party friend but also a hero of the war against Mexico. The following time was to be very difficult for Gaines both privately and politically. Two of his daughters succumbed to yellow fever during the voyage to his new home . Shortly after arriving in Oregon, his wife died in a fall from a horse.

Politically, he had to deal with a legislature ruled by the opposition Democrats in Oregon . One point of contention was the legislative decision to move the capital of the Territory from Oregon City to Salem. The governor stood up for the old capital. This in turn reinforced his opponents, who accused him of being an American from the East who was not familiar with the conditions on the west coast and had no idea of ​​the real problems of the territory. The governor personally endeavored to maintain a balanced policy. But he suffered from poor advisers and hostile opposition. The majority of the population also supported the opposition to Gaines. After the change of political power in 1853, when Franklin Pierce , a Democrat, moved into the White House in Washington, Gaines could no longer hold out in Oregon. His predecessor Joseph Lane , also a Democrat, succeeded him for three days, just to hasten Gaines' replacement.

Another résumé

Despite his difficulties in Oregon, Gaines decided to stay in the area. He settled on a farm near Salem. In 1854 he managed to drive a herd of cattle from Arkansas across the mountains to Oregon. In 1855 he ran against his rival Lane for a seat in the US Congress. As expected, he was defeated in these elections, especially since Lane was already the holder of the mandate at the time. Gaines had since remarried, but his blows of fate did not end. In the spring of 1857, another daughter who lived in Tennessee died . He did not recover from this blow. He died of typhus in December of the same year.

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personal data
SURNAME Gaines, John Pollard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH September 22, 1795
PLACE OF BIRTH Augusta , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH December 9, 1857
Place of death Salem , Oregon