Reuben Wood

Reuben Wood (* 1792 or 1793 in Middletown , Rutland County , Vermont , † October 1, 1864 in Cleveland , Ohio ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and from 1850 to 1853 the 21st governor of the state of Ohio.

Early years and political advancement

Reuben Wood initially did not attend school, but was raised at home. After the death of his father, who was a preacher and military chaplain during the War of Independence , the then 15-year-old came into the care of an uncle in Canada . There he received classical training. When the British-American War broke out in 1812 , he was drafted into the Canadian armed forces, which were then fighting on the British side. As a born American, he fled to the USA, where he briefly joined the US Army .

After finishing his military service, Wood studied law and then worked as a lawyer in Cleveland. Between 1825 and 1830 he was a member of the Ohio Senate . Between 1830 and 1833 he was initially a judge at an appeals court; from 1833 to 1847 he was a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio . In 1850, he was elected the new governor of his state with 49.7 percent of the vote against Whig candidate William Johnston .

Governor of ohio

Wood took up his new office on December 12, 1850. During his first term in office, a new constitution came into effect that fixed the election dates for all office holders, including governors, at odd years. As a result, Wood's first term was shortened to one year. In 1851 he was confirmed this time with a clear majority against Samuel Finley Vinton . The new constitution also reorganized the judiciary. In addition, the Office of was Vice-Governor ( Lieutenant Governor ) newly created. Politically, he was an opponent of the so-called "Fugitive Slave Act", which demanded the extradition of slaves who had fled to their former masters.

On July 13, 1853 Wood came back by the Office of the Governor, for a job as an American consul in Valparaiso ( Chile ) to compete. He stayed in Chile until 1855. He then returned to Cleveland to work as a lawyer. He then retired to his farm, where he died in 1864. Politically, he was a supporter of the Union. He was married to Mary Rice, with whom he had two daughters.

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personal data
SURNAME	Wood, Reuben
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	1792 or 1793
PLACE OF BIRTH	Middletown , Vermont
DATE OF DEATH	October 1, 1864
Place of death	Cleveland , Ohio