Samuel Bigger

Samuel Bigger (born March 20, 1802 in Franklin , Northwest Territory , United States , † September 9, 1845 in Fort Wayne , Indiana ) was an American politician and from 1840 to 1843 the seventh governor of the state of Indiana.

Early years and political advancement

Samuel Bigger was the son of John Bigger, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and well-known Ohio politician. Young Samuel attended Ohio University and then studied law. In 1829 he moved to Indiana, where he practiced law first in Liberty and then in Rushville . In 1833, Bigger was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, where he remained until 1835. Between 1836 and 1840 he was presiding judge in the sixth judicial district of his state. On August 3, 1840 he was elected as the Whigs candidate for the new governor of Indiana, with 53.7 percent of the vote against the Democrat Tilghman Howard .

Indiana Governor

Bigger began his three-year term on December 9, 1840. During his reign, almost all of the state's laws were revised. Throughout his tenure, Indiana suffered from the effects of the economic crisis of 1837 and the consequent collapse of almost all infrastructure programs. In addition, Bigger took on the Methodist Church in the unsuccessful election campaign for his re-election. His rival candidate James Whitcomb belonged to this denomination and Bigger made some derogatory remarks about this denomination during the election campaign. The conflict contributed to Bigger's defeat, who only got 48.5 percent of the vote.

After his election, Samuel Bigger withdrew from politics. He moved to Fort Wayne where he worked as a lawyer. There he died three years after the end of his governorship at the age of 43.

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personal data
SURNAME	Bigger, Samuel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 20, 1802
PLACE OF BIRTH	Franklin , Ohio
DATE OF DEATH	September 9, 1845
Place of death	Fort Wayne , Indiana