Whitemarsh Benjamin Seabrook

WB Seabrook

Whitemarsh Benjamin Seabrook (born June 30, 1793 on Edisto Island , Charleston County , South Carolina , †  April 16, 1855 in Beaufort , South Carolina) was an American politician and governor of the state of South Carolina from 1848 to 1850 .

Early years and political advancement

Seabrook was born on his family's plantation. After elementary school, he attended the College of New Jersey until 1812 , which later became Princeton University . He then studied law. But he had not practiced the profession of lawyer. As a plantation owner, he was for many years chairman of the South Carolina Agricultural Society . From 1814 to 1829 Seabrook was a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina ; until 1834 he was a member of the State Senate . He also served as the curator of South Carolina College from 1829 to 1837 . He was also the government commissioner for the public schools in South Carolina. Between 1834 and 1836 he was Lieutenant Governor under Governor George McDuffie .

Governor of south carolina

In 1848, Seabrook was elected the new governor of South Carolina by the General Assembly . As governor, he was responsible for improving the education system. He demanded that the lower and middle strata of the white population should also get a better education. Until then, these social classes had received a below-average level of educational policy. He raised taxes to finance reforms. His tenure, like that of his predecessor David Johnson , was overshadowed by the dispute over slavery . After the federal government in Washington, DC considered a ban on slavery in the areas acquired by Mexico , conventions were already held in some southern states to discuss how to proceed and a possible secession from the Union. The crisis was temporarily resolved by the 1850 compromise introduced by Senator Henry Clay . However, the conflict continued to smolder beneath the surface and only ten years later would it lead to civil war.

Seabrook's term ended in December 1850. The constitution did not allow two consecutive terms and therefore could not be re-elected. As a result, he became involved in the cause of the southern states and in 1852 became a member of the Southern Rights Convention , a congress that campaigned for the interests of the south. After his death in April 1855, the ex-governor was buried on his plantation. He was married to Margaret Wilkinson Hamilton, with whom he had seven children.

Works

• History of the Cotton Plant
• A concise view of the critical situation, and future prospects of the slave-holding states, in relation to their colored population , 1825, ( online at dlxs.library.cornell.edu )

Web links

• Seabrook at the National Governors Association (English)
• South Carolina Information Highway (English)
• Whitemarsh Benjamin Seabrook in the database of Find a Grave (English)