William Sprague (politician, 1799)

William Sprague III

William Sprague III (born November 3, 1799 in Cranston , Rhode Island , † October 19, 1856 in Providence , Rhode Island) was an American politician and from 1838 to 1839 governor of the state of Rhode Island. He also represented his state in both chambers of Congress .

Early years and political advancement

After his school days, William Sprague initially carried out commercial activities. Between 1832 and 1835 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Rhode Island . There he officiated temporarily as speaker of the house. In 1832 he ran unsuccessfully for governor of Rhode Island. Between March 4, 1835 and March 3, 1837, he served as a member of the Whig Party in the United States House of Representatives .

Governor and US Senator

In 1838 Sprague was elected the new governor of his state. He took up his new office on May 2, 1838. A year later, in an attempt to be confirmed, he achieved a relative, but not an absolute, majority among three candidates. The decision on the new governor had to be made by the legislature in accordance with the state constitution. Since they could not agree on one of the original candidates, they elected Samuel Ward King, a state senator for this office. So Sprague had to give up his governorship on May 1, 1839 to King. During his tenure, a geological survey to explore the natural resources of Rhode Island was commissioned. Licenses were issued for the trade in alcoholic beverages.

After the death of Nathan Fellows Dixon , Sprague was elected as his successor as a US Senator . Between February 18, 1842 and January 17, 1844 Sprague exercised his mandate in Congress. There he was chairman of the Committee on Enrolled Bills . After his resignation for family reasons, John Brown Francis , who had been Governor of Rhode Island before him, took over his seat in the US Senate.

Another résumé

After his brother was murdered (this was also the reason for his resignation from the US Senate), Sprague took over the management of the family-owned company. He followed the trial of the killers, two of whom were sentenced to death by hanging. In 1848, William Sprague was one of President Zachary Taylor's electors . He died in 1856. William Sprague had two children with his wife, Mary Waterman. His nephew, William Sprague IV, was Governor of Rhode Island from 1860 to 1863 and US Senator from 1863 to 1874.

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

• William Sprague in the National Governors Association (English)
• William Sprague in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• William Sprague in the database of Find a Grave (English)