William Woodbridge

William Woodbridge (born August 20, 1780 in Norwich , Connecticut , † October 20, 1861 in Detroit , Michigan ) was an American politician and from 1840 to 1841 the second governor of the state of Michigan.

Early years

Woodbridge and his family moved to Marietta in Ohio as early as 1790 . There he attended the local schools. After completing a law degree at Litchfield Law School in Connecticut , he began practicing as a lawyer in Marietta. It was there that he met Lewis Cass , with whom he soon became friends.

Political rise

In 1807, Woodbridge was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. Between 1808 and 1814 he was a prosecutor in Washington County . At the same time he was also a member of the State Senate . In 1814, he accepted the request of his friend Lewis Cass, who had since become Territorial Governor of the Michigan Territory , and accepted the post of Secretary of State in that territory . After being appointed by President James Madison , he moved to Detroit.

He held this office between 1814 and 1828, and he also represented the territory between 1819 and 1820 as a non-voting delegate in the US Congress . In his capacity as Secretary of State he had to represent Governor Cass several times during his temporary absence. Woodbridge was a Territorial Justice Justice between 1828 and 1832. As a member of the Whigs , he was replaced by a Democrat in 1832 by President Andrew Jackson . In the border conflict between Ohio and Michigan over the so-called Toledo Strip at the time, Woodbridge was vehemently committed to the interests of Michigan. Woodbridge was a member of the Michigan Constituent Assembly in 1835 and served on the State Senate between 1837 and 1839 . On November 4, 1839, he was elected as the Whigs candidate for new governor.

Michigan governor

William Woodbridge served as governor of Michigan between January 7, 1840 and February 23, 1841. During this time he had to struggle with the consequences of the economic crisis of 1837. He accused his predecessor Stevens Mason of corruption and made him responsible for the budget deficit. Woodbridge worked to further improve the infrastructure of his country. Bank control laws have also been improved. In addition, the tax system was reformed. After Woodbridge was elected to the US Senate , he resigned as governor in February 1841.

Another résumé

Between 1841 and 1847 Woodbridge represented his state as a Senator in Congress. There he was active in several committees. After the end of his time in the Senate, Woodbridge withdrew from politics and devoted himself to his private interests. He died and was buried in Detroit in 1861. He was married to Juliane Trumbell, with whom he had four children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Woodbridge, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	August 20, 1780
PLACE OF BIRTH	Norwich , Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH	October 20, 1861
Place of death	Detroit , Michigan