William Bigler

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William Bigler

William Bigler (born January 11, 1814 in what is now Perry County , Pennsylvania , † August 9, 1880 in Clearfield , Pennsylvania) was an American politician . He was from 1852 to 1855 the 12th  governor of the state of Pennsylvania, which he also represented in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

William Bigler occasionally attended local schools in his homeland. He received part of his schooling from his brother John , who was to become Governor of California between 1852 and 1856 . Since 1829 William Bigler made an apprenticeship in printing. He then moved to Clearfield, where he founded the newspaper "Clearfield Democrat" in 1833. William Bigler also got into this branch through his father-in-law, who worked in the wood business.

Between 1841 and 1847, Bigler was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate . During that time he was President of the House twice. In 1849 he was appointed tax commissioner of the state ( Pennsylvania Revenue Commissioner ) before he was nominated as a candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election by his Democratic Party in 1851 . In this he was able to beat incumbent William Freame Johnston .

Governor of Pennsylvania

William Bigler took up his new office on January 20, 1852. During his tenure, a state school for mentally retarded children was established. At that time, the office of school council was introduced in the individual counties . The rail line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh has been completed and opened. Although Bigler was an opponent of slavery , he supported the implementation of the so-called " Fugitive Slave Act ". Since 1850, this federal law obliged the US states to capture slaves who had fled the south and to deliver them back. Bigler's predecessor, Johnston, had opposed this law. Bigler also supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act , passed in 1854 . This law abrogated the Missouri Compromise and left the issue of extending slavery to the citizens of these two territories created by that law. In Pennsylvania, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was very unpopular and the governor lost much sympathy for his position on the matter. This led to his being voted out of office in the next gubernatorial elections.

Another résumé

After his electoral defeat, William Bigler had to hand over his office to his successor James Pollock on January 16 . He then became president of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad . Between January 14, 1856 and March 3, 1861, Bigler was a member of the US Senate. There he was active in several committees. During his time in the Senate, he worked for a peaceful solution to the conflict between the northern and southern states. In 1860, 1864 and 1868 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention . In the run-up to the upcoming celebrations for the 100th anniversary of American independence in 1876, Bigler was a member of the planning committee. He was one of the proponents of an international exhibition in Philadelphia. Originally only one exhibition was planned on a national level. In 1876 he supported the presidential campaign of the narrowly failed Samuel J. Tilden . He was also appointed an observer to the New Orleans vote recount . William Bigler died on August 9, 1880. He was married to Mary J. Reed, with whom he had five children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bigler, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH January 11, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Perry County , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH August 9, 1880
Place of death Clearfield , Pennsylvania