- Peter F. Causey
Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Peter F. Causey
honorific-suffix =
imagesize =
small
office =Governor of Delaware
term_start =January 16 1855
term_end =January 18 1859
predecessor =William H. H. Ross
successor = William Burton
birth_date = birth date|1801|1|11|mf=y
birth_place = Bridgeville,Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1871|2|17|1801|1|11
death_place = Milford,Delaware
spouse = Maria Williams
party = Democratic
American
residence = Milford,Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation =merchant
profession =
religion = MethodistPeter Foster Causey (
January 11 1801 –February 17 1871 ) was an Americanmerchant andpolitician from Milford, in Kent County,Delaware . He was a member of the American Party, who served in theDelaware General Assembly and asGovernor of Delaware .Early Life and Family
Causey was born
January 11 1801 in Bridgeville,Delaware , son of Peter T. and Tamzey Causey. His family lived in Easton,Maryland for a time, but returned toDelaware in 1815, settling on North Walnut Street in Milford. He married Maria Williams and they had six children, William F., Maria E., Sally Maria, Peter Foster, Jr., John W., and Robert H. In 1850 they bought the old Levin Crapper mansion, former home of GovernorDaniel Rogers . It was subsequently known as the "Causey Mansion." The Causey family owned a large flour mill and were successful merchants, taking advantage of the many business opportunities in Milford at the time. They were members of the First Methodist Church in Milford.Political career
In the constantly shifting political combinations of the time, Causey began his career as a progressive Jacksonian Democrat, and was elected to the State House in the 1831 session and the 1832/33 session. As the Democrats lost their progressive agenda, and with the collapse of the Whig Party, most of the energy in opposition to the increasingly conservative Democrats came from the Temperance movement. In 1850 a Temperance candidate was almost elected, and in 1854 Causey signed on as their candidate under the aegis of the American Party. This was an unusual combination of various causes that in
Delaware was headed by prohibition. He was electedGovernor of Delaware in 1854, defeating William Burton, the Democratic candidate and served fromJanuary 16 1855 untilJanuary 18 1859 .Along with Causey several "Know-Nothings," as they were known, were elected to the General Assembly. Proceeding with their Prohibition agenda, they passed legislation that went fully into effect by December 1855. By Election Day 1856, the effects of this legislation were detested enough by the voters that they replaced nearly all the "Know-Nothings" with Democrats, and leaving Causey two years to govern with a strong Democratic opposition in the General Assembly. Needless to say, the repeal of the prohibition laws was foremost on their agenda.
Other than the prohibition matter the most important issue in
Delaware at the time was the completion of the Delaware Railroad. By September 1855 it was complete to Middletown, and by January 1857 all the way to Delmar. On the other side of the ledger, by 1861 Delaware College was forced to close due to a lack of funds, aggravated by a brutal unsolved murder on the campus.A true reformer, Causey hammered the General Assembly on all the same issues his predecessors had been speaking about for years.
"The existing public schools, he said, were dilapidated and the teachers untrained. [Public education] has been the theme of much debate in our legislative halls for years, he remarked, and yet each succeeding session has ended in little or no alteration for the better. The tiny school districts run by committees elected by the residents most hostile to taxation simply were not working. [Furthermore, the insane] , more than any other portion of our community, [were] dependent upon our care and protection." [cite book |author=Hoffecker, Carol E |title=Democracy in Delaware |publisher= |year= |id=, p. 96; quotation from the "Journal of the House of Representatives (1859), p. 9-22]
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
"(sessions while Governor)"
-!Year!Assembly!!Senate Majority!Speaker!!House Majority!Speaker
-
1855-1856
68th|
Party shading/Know-nothing |American
Party shading/Know-nothing |Daniel Curry|
Party shading/Know-nothing |American
Party shading/Know-nothing |Samuel Biddle
-
1857-1858
69th|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |Abraham Boyce|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |George W. Cummins
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###Death and Legacy
Causey died
February 17 1871 at Milford,Delaware , and is buried at Old Methodist Episcopal Cemetery, at North and 3rd Street in Milford.Almanac
Elections were held the first Tuesday in October until 1831, and since they have been held on the first Tuesday after November 1st. Members of the
Delaware General Assembly took office in the first Tuesday of January. State Representatives have a term of two years. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday in January, and has a four year term.{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State RepresentativeLegislature
Dover
1831January 6 1832 January 6 1833 |
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State RepresentativeLegislature
Dover
1832January 6 1833 January 6 1835 |
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Governor
Executive
Dover
1858January 16 1855 January 18 1859 |
###@@@KEYEND@@@###{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly "service"
-! Dates! Assembly! Chamber! Majority! Governor! Committees! District
-Party shading/National Republican
1832
56th
State House
National RepublicanDavid Hazzard |
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Whig
1833-1834
57th
State House
WhigCaleb Bennett |
Kent "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-!Year!Office!!Subject!Party!Votes!%!!Opponent!Party!Votes!%
-
1846
Governor|
Party shading/Whig |Peter F. Causey
Party shading/Whig |Whig
Party shading/Whig |6,012
Party shading/Whig |49%|
Party shading/Democratic |William Tharp
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |6,148
Party shading/Democratic |51%
-
1850
Governor|
Party shading/Independent |Peter F. Causey
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent |5,978
Party shading/Independent |48%|
Party shading/Democratic |William H. H. Ross
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |6,001
Party shading/Democratic |48%
-
1854
Governor|
Party shading/American |Peter F. Causey
Party shading/American |American
Party shading/American |6,941
Party shading/American |53%|
Party shading/Democratic |William Burton
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |6,244
Party shading/Democratic |47%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###Notes
References
*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware |last= Conrad |first= Henry C. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Wickersham Company |location= Lancaster, Pennsylvania |pages= |year= 1908 |id=
*cite book |title = Democracy in Delaware |last= Hoffecker |first= Carol E. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Cedar Tree Books |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 2004 |id= ISBN 1-892142-23-6
*cite book |title = History of Delaware Through its Governors |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= McClafferty Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1984 |id=
*cite book |title = Memoirs of the Senate |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |coauthors = |work = |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark, DE |year = 1995 |id =
*cite book |title = History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols |last = Scharf |first = John Thomas |coauthors = |work = |publisher = L. J. Richards & Co |location = Philadelphia |year = 1888 |id =
=* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov3.htm#causey Delaware’s Governors]
* [http://www.state.de.us/research/Tour/information/Governors/govs-17.shtml Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery] , "Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover"External links
* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=c85b224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Peter F. Causey at the "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States"]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/catron-cavanagh.html#RIO03RYIQ Peter F. Causey at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=7105306
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov3.htm#causey Peter F. Causey at "Delaware’s Governors"]Places with more information
* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965
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