William Medill

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William Medills

William Medill (born February 1, 1802 in New Castle County , Delaware , †  September 2, 1865 in Lancaster , Ohio ) was an American politician and from 1853 to 1856 the 22nd governor of the state of Ohio.

Early years and political advancement

After elementary school, Medill studied at the University of Delaware until 1825 . After studying law and moving to Ohio, he began working as a lawyer in Lancaster in 1830.

Between 1835 and 1838 the Democrat Medill was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and at times even its speaker . Between 1839 and 1843 he represented his state in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC In 1845 he was for a short time second Deputy Secretary of the Post Office of the USA. Between 1845 and 1850 he was the successor of Thomas Hartley Crawford Federal Commissioner for Indian Affairs ( Commissioner of Indian Affairs ). During his tenure, responsibility for Indian affairs was transferred from the War Department to the Home Office. In 1850 he was president of a commission to revise the Ohio Constitution. One of the changes involved the creation of a Deputy Governor ( lieutenant governor ), who acted leaning to the US Constitution as Senate president. In the fall of 1853, William Medill was elected Ohio's first lieutenant governor.

Governor of ohio

After the resignation of incumbent Governor Reuben Wood on July 13, 1853, he had to end his term in accordance with the new constitution. In October 1853 he was elected by the voters to a separate two-year term. Thus Medill was between July 13, 1853 and January 14, 1856 governor of Ohio. During his time there was social unrest because minorities felt oppressed by the ruling class, which was formed by white Protestants . Cincinnati public election riots culminated in 1855. Another controversial issue was the privatization of the country's canals, which Medill advocated. The construction of a rail link to the Mississippi River and even to the west coast has been discussed and advocated but not yet started. In the elections of 1855 Medill lost to the Republican Salmon P. Chase . These elections were driven by the question of slavery , and Chase showed a clearer profile than Medill in terms of his opposition to this institution.

Another résumé

Even after his governorship, Medill remained politically active. Between 1857 and 1861 he was auditor for the Treasury under President James Buchanan . After quitting this activity, his health gradually deteriorated. In 1863 he was president of the Ohio Democratic Convention. He died in September 1865.

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personal data
SURNAME Medill, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 1, 1802
PLACE OF BIRTH New Castle County , Delaware
DATE OF DEATH September 2, 1865
Place of death Lancaster , Ohio