Samuel Watson Black

Samuel Watson Black

Samuel Watson Black (born September 3, 1816 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , † June 27, 1862 in the Battle of Gaines Mill ) was an American politician . He was governor of the Nebraska Territory between 1858 and 1861 .

Early years

Samuel Black attended local schools in his home country. After studying law, he became a successful lawyer and supporter of the Democratic Party . In the Mexican-American War from 1845 to 1848 he was a lieutenant colonel in the military. After the war he worked again as a lawyer and politician.

Promotion to territorial governor

In 1852 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress . Instead, he was sent to the Nebraska Territory as a judge. There he became popular very quickly. However, both his friends and opponents agree that he had a drinking problem. In 1858 he was appointed new governor to succeed William Alexander Richardson . Since he was recovering from the consequences of a hunting accident in the east at that time, he was represented in Nebraska by Secretary of State Julius Sterling Morton . After his arrival he took over his new office. He didn't get along very well with Secretary of State Morton. It was during these years that the issue of slavery reached Nebraska, although there were very few slaves brought in by immigrants from the south. Nevertheless, there were isolated clashes, with supporters from the South being clearly in the minority. The conflict did not take on the same proportions as in the Kansas Territory , where civil war-like incursions had already occurred since the mid-1850s .

Further life

As the road to Civil War loomed, Black resigned from his position as governor in February 1861. He returned to Pennsylvania. There he helped to set up a volunteer force, whose commander he became a colonel. Samuel Black was killed in the Battle of Gaines Mill in Virginia .

Web links

• The Political Graveyard (English)
• Samuel Watson Black in the database of Find a Grave (English)