Reuben Fenton

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Reuben Fenton

Reuben Eaton Fenton (born July 4, 1819 in Carroll , Chautauqua County , New York , † August 25, 1885 in Jamestown , New York) was an American politician and governor of the state of New York from 1865 to 1869 . He also represented his state in both chambers of the US Congress .

Early years

Reuben Fenton attended public schools in his home country and then studied law. He earned the money he needed to study as a woodworker and businessman. Politically, he became a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1846 and 1852, Fenton was mayor of the Carroll Ward.

Congressman and Governor

Between March 4, 1853 and March 3, 1855 Fenton was the first member of the US House of Representatives . In the elections of 1854 he was not re-elected. He then left the Democrats and became one of the founding members of the Republican Party in New York State. In 1856 he was re-elected to Congress as a candidate for his new party. He exercised this mandate between March 4, 1857 and December 20, 1864. In the election campaign for the office of governor of New York, he stood against the Democrat Horatio Seymour . His reign was marked by a number of problems, such as B. the New York Draft Riots in July 1863. Fenton victorious, resigned on December 20 as an MP to take up the office of governor of New York. After re-election in 1866, Reuben Fenton was able to serve as governor between January 1, 1865 and January 1, 1869. During this time, the end of the civil war and with it the necessary changes in production to meet civilian needs. In addition, the returning soldiers had to be reintegrated into society and the disabled and the bereaved of the dead had to be cared for. Regardless of this, the public school system was improved during Fenton's tenure and was now free to use. Cornell University was founded at that time .

US Senator

In the congressional election of 1868, Reuben Fenton was elected to succeed Edwin D. Morgan in the US Senate . He held this office between March 4, 1869 and March 3, 1875. There he was chairman of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses . He was also a member of the Craftsmen's Committee and the US Territories Administration Committee.

After the end of his time in the Senate, Fenton was chairman of the American delegation at an international currency conference in Paris in 1878 . Then he retired from politics and devoted himself to his private business. Reuben Fenton died on August 25, 1885. He was married twice and had a total of three children.

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 (English)
  • Stewart Mitchell: Horatio Seymour of New York. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1938, ISBN 0306712520 (English)

Web links

Commons : Reuben Fenton  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Horatio Seymour of New York , 1938, pp. 350-359, p. 381.
personal data
SURNAME Fenton, Reuben
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fenton, Reuben Eaton (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH 4th July 1819
PLACE OF BIRTH Carroll , New York
DATE OF DEATH August 25, 1885
Place of death Jamestown , New York