Moody Currier

Moody Currier

Moody Currier (born April 22, 1806 in Boscawen , Merrimack County , New Hampshire , † August 23, 1898 in Manchester , New Hampshire) was an American politician and governor of the state of New Hampshire from 1885 to 1887 .

Early years

Moody Currier attended Hopkinton Academy and then Dartmouth College until 1834 . He then worked for a short time as a newspaper publisher and as a school teacher. After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he began practicing in Manchester in 1841. In 1848 he gave up this profession and became a banker. For the rest of his life he was engaged in this field and in the railroad industry alongside his political activities.

Political rise

Originally, Currier was a member of the Democratic Party . There he belonged to the faction that fought slavery . Between 1843 and 1844 he was a member of the New Hampshire Senate . In 1852 he moved to the Free Soil Party and after its dissolution a few years later to the Republican Party . Between 1856 and 1857 he was again in the Senate of his state, where he became its President in 1857. From 1860 to 1861 he was a member of the Advisory Board to the Governor of New Hampshire and then chairman of his state's War Committee during the Civil War . Then he retired from politics until 1882 and pursued his business interests. During this time he was only briefly one of the electors in the presidential election in 1876. In 1882 he applied for his party's nomination for the office of governor. But he was defeated in a vote against Samuel W. Hale . Two years later he was nominated as a candidate for the next gubernatorial election. In this way, a threatening break within the Republican Party could be avoided.

New Hampshire Governor

Moody Currier began his two-year term on June 4, 1885 and was able to remain in office until June 2, 1887. During his tenure, the state suffered from an economic crisis. The governor promoted industry and trade to counter the economic downturn. A new law required insurance companies to pay all damages. This promptly led to the migration of some societies from the state. But many returned within a year. Governor Currier was tired of office towards the end of his term and wanted to hand over his post to the Senate President. The legislature did not agree to this plan. Therefore, Currier had to remain in office until the end of his term on June 2, 1887. He then appointed the former governor person Colby Cheney to succeed the late Austin Franklin Pike as US Senator .

Another résumé

After his term in office, Currier retired from politics and devoted himself to his private affairs. He died in August 1898 and was buried in Manchester. He was married three times and had three children in total.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 3, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Moody Currier in the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography of the States New Hampshire (English)
• Moody Currier in the database of Find a Grave (English)