Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton

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Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton

Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (born August 4, 1823 in Salisbury , Wayne County , Indiana , †  November 1, 1877 in Indianapolis , Indiana) was an American politician and from January 16, 1861 to March 4, 1867 the 14th  governor from Indiana. He represented this state in the US Senate immediately until his death in November 1877 .

Early years

Morton spent most of his youth in Ohio . There he was raised by his maternal grandparents after the early death of his mother. He later moved to Centerville , Indiana; this place would become his home for the rest of his life. Morton completed a four-year apprenticeship as a hatter and attended Miami University in Ohio and Cincinnati College , where he studied law. After graduation and admission, he began practicing in Centerville and soon became a respected and wealthy lawyer.

Political rise

In 1852 he became a judge in the Indiana Sixth District Judge. Morton originally belonged to the Democratic Party . In the 1850s, however, he no longer agreed with their policy. He joined the newly formed Republican Party and helped establish a state association in Indiana. He soon had such an influence in the party that he was nominated as its candidate for gubernatorial elections in 1856. But he was defeated by the Democrat Ashbel P. Willard . For the gubernatorial elections of 1860, he ran again for the nomination of his party. But as Henry Smith Lane , also an influential politician, filed his claim at the same time , a compromise was reached. This stipulated that Lane should be nominated as governor, while Morton was the candidate for the office of lieutenant governor . In the event of a (probable) Republican majority in the state parliament , Lane should then be elected to the US Senate and step down as governor in favor of Morton. After the electoral victory of the duo Lane / Morton and the Republican majority in parliament, exactly this case occurred: Lane resigned after two days as governor on January 16, 1861 and passed his office to Morton.

Indiana Governor

Morton's tenure as governor coincided with the Civil War . During the war, the governor made sure that President Abraham Lincoln's wishes for Indiana soldiers were met, and sometimes exceeded. He also campaigned personally for financial support for the federal government's war effort. This was especially true during a dispute with the state parliament, which had not approved the budget. Morton procured the necessary money from banks and private parties and later had this step approved by the newly elected parliament. Morton was considered one of the most loyal supporters of the Union and the Republican Party. In 1864 he was elected to a second term. Soon after, he suffered a stroke after temporarily relinquishing office to Lieutenant Governor Conrad Baker . After recovering somewhat, he returned to office. His health continued to improve, and Morton was elected to the US Senate by Parliament in 1867. For this reason he resigned on January 23, 1867 from the office of governor.

US Senator

Morton spent the last ten years of his life in the Washington Senate , where he represented the interests of his home state. There he was represented in several committees. There he also witnessed the conflict between President Andrew Johnson and the Republican Party, which culminated in a narrowly failed impeachment trial against the president. Morton was one of the Radical Republicans and supported the impeachment against Johnson and a tough policy against the war-defeated southern states . In 1877 he suffered a second stroke, from the consequences of which he died. He was married to Lucinda M. Burbank, with whom he had five children.

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personal data
SURNAME Morton, Oliver Hazard Perry Throck
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Morton, Oliver P.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH 4th August 1823
PLACE OF BIRTH Salisbury , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH November 1, 1877
Place of death Indianapolis , Indiana