William Hendricks

Infobox Politician
name =William Hendricks
caption = Governor William Hendricks [No authentic portrait of Hendricks is known to exist. This one was once on display in the Indiana statehouse, but it was order to be removed by Governor Thomas Hendricks because it was not accurate.]


birth_date= November 12, 1782
birth_place= Ligonier Valley, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
death_date= May 16, 1850
death_place= Madison, Indiana
spouse = Ann Parker Paul
party = Whig
order =
office =Indiana Territorial Legislature
term_start =1813
term_end =1816
office1 =United States Congressman
term_start1 =December 11, 1816,
term_end1 =July 25, 1822
predecessor1 =Jonathan Jennings [Jennings served as representative of the Indiana Territory]
successor1 =Jonathan Jennings
office2 =Governor of Indiana
order2 =Third
term_start2 =December 5, 1822
term_end2 =February 14, 1825
lieutenant2 = John H. Thompson, Ratliff Boon
predecessor2 =Ratliff Boon
successor2 =James B. Ray
office3 =United States Senator
term_start3 =March 4, 1825
term_end3 =March 3, 1837
predecessor3 =Waller Taylor
successor3 =Oliver H. Smith

William Hendricks (born November 12, 1782; died May 16, 1850) was a Democrat member of the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1822, Governor of Indiana from 1822 to 1825, and an Anti-Jacksonian member of the U.S. Senate from 1825 to 1837. Born in 1782 in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, he was the uncle of Thomas Andrews Hendricks, who also was Governor of Indiana. Hendricks County, Indiana is named for him. He died in 1850 in Madison, Indiana.

Early life

Hendricks was born born in Ligonier Valley, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1782. He was the brother of Thomas Hendricks and John Hendricks, the uncle of Abram Hendricks and Thomas Andrews Hendricks, and the father of William Hendricks Jr.

He attended a common school in Ligonier Valley. After completion of the lower grades Hendricks went to college, he attended Jefferson College until 1810. After completing college Hendricks moved west to Ohio. From 1810 to 1812 he made a living as a school teacher while he studied law in Cincinnati. He remained there until he was admitted to the bar. [Woollen, p. 51]

After 1813 he moved to Madison in the Indiana Territory. Madison would remain his home for the rest of his life. During his early days in Madison setup a printing press he brought with him from Cincinnati, and became proprietor of the Western Eagle, the second newspaper to be printed in the territory. His paper and the positions he supported would help him to quickly gain popularity in the local community. He used his printing press to print the first codification of the Indiana state laws during his term as governor. [Wollen, p. 53]

Hendricks married Ann Parker Paul of Hardin County, Kentucky. She was the daughter Colonel John Paul, who was the founder of Madison, Indiana. Mrs. Hendricks outlived her husband by some thirty-seven years, and died at Madison on September 12, 1887. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ysQCAAAAMAAJ|title=Conquest of the Country Northwest of the River Ohio 1778-1783|author=William Hayden English|pages=pp. 941–944]

Public life

In 1813 he was elected to the territorial legislature in Corydon as a representative of Jefferson County, of which Madison was the County Seat. [Woollen, p. 51] In the legislature he fell into party with Rep. Dennis Pennington and Congressman Jonathan Jennings, the leading men in the state government. In 1814 Hendricks became speaker of the legislative assembly.

In 1816 he was elected as a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention held in Corydon. Although only two years since he entered the territory, he had become so well known and popularized that he served as the conventions secretary. [Woolen, p. 51] He was again in party with Jonathan Jennings, Dennis Pennington, and others seeking to institute a constitutional ban on slavery. His actions at the convention further strengthened his reputation for business aptitude and political skills. That same year he was elected as the only Indiana representative to the 14th Congress, succeeding Jennings. Hendricks was reelected three times, serving from from December 11, 1816, until the 17th Congress when he resigned July 25, 1822 to become Governor of Indiana.

In 1822 Hendricks ran unopposed for the position of Governor of Indiana and succeeded Jonathan Jennings; Jennings in turn succeeded Hendricks in his congressional seat. Hendricks won 100% of the 18,340 votes, the only governor in Indiana history to win by that margin. [Woollen p. 52] He assumed the office on December 5, 1822. While governor he occupied the Governor's Headquarters in Corydon. He served as Governor from 1822 until 1825. He would be the last governor while the capital remained in Corydon.

His administration would be credited with repairing the state's finances after the depreciation of state bonds in 1821 that so had severely hurt the state's credit. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ntxcb7KJYC|title= An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana |author=Goodrich,De Witt C|pages=p. 191] The foundation of state's school system—the first state funded system in the nation—also began to be laid during Hendricks administration. During his tenure as Governor each township was granted land on which a public school could be established. The value of these improvements totaled over $1.25 million making it the highest dollar item on the budget to that date. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ntxcb7KJYC|title= An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana |author=Goodrich, De Witt C|pages=p. 192] Construction of the State Seminary, later to become Indiana University, also began during his term. Hendricks would also contribute to Hanover College.

In 1824 a Seneca family was murdered by a group of men near Pendleton, Indiana and tension between the natives in northern Indiana and the settlements in central Indiana moved quickly toward conflict. Governor Hendricks, hoping to maintain peace and do justice for the tribe, ordered the murders to be captured and tried. While one of the murders escaped, the others where captured and all were sentenced to death. One of the murderers was a one minor and was later pardoned by Governor James Ray. ["A Sketchbook of Indiana History", by Arville L. Funk, 1964] Governor Hendricks had denied his appeal for clemency and used the execution to show the natives his goodwill. This was the first time a white man was executed for killing a Native American in the United States. ["Life and public services of Thomas A. Hendricks, By John Walker Holcombe, Hubert Marshall, Pg 30-31"]

On February 14, 1825, Hendricks resigned his position as Governor to become a United States Senator after being elected to that position by the legislature, defeating Chief Justice Isaac Blackford. Lieutenant Governor Ratliff Boon had resigned earlier and the governorship devolved to James B. Ray, the Senate-Pro-Tempore. Back in Congress in 1825, Hendricks was an Anti-Jacksonian. He chaired the committee on roads and canals from 1831 until 1837. He failed in his attempt to be reelected to his seat in the Senate in 1836. [Wollen, p. 52] He served in the Senate from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1837 after having lost the election in 1836 to Oliver H. Smith. [Woollen, p. 158]

Hendricks also served as a trustee on the Indiana University Board from 1829 to 1840.

Return to private life

Having served the people of Indiana since 1813, Hendricks returned to private life in Madison in 1839. Hendricks served 29 consecutive years in public office.

During his life he had gathered a large estate which he returned to manage and to also practice law. Being a large landholder in the Madison area he built many homes and leased them to individuals. In his later years he was criticized for not wanting to sell them. [Woollen, p. 58]

On May 16, 1850, while he was overseeing the construction of his family vault, he became ill. He died the same day and was buried in the Fairmount Cemetery.

In his obituary the Indiana Gazetteer said:

"Governor Hendricks was for many years by far the most popular man in the State. He had been its sole representative in Congress for six years, elected on each occasion by large majorities, and no member of that body, probably, was more attentive to the interests of the State he represented, or more industrious in arranging all the private or local business entrusted to him. He left no letter unanswered, no public office or document did he fail to visit or examine on request; with personal manners very engaging, he long retained his popularity." [Woollen, p. 54]

References

ources

*cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PCbZ8rS-84gC|title=Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana|author=Woollen, William Wesley|publisher=Ayer Publishing|year=1975|isbn=0405068964

ee also

*List of Governors of Indiana

External links

* [http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ihb/govportraits/hendricksw.html Indiana Historical Bureau: Biography of William Henrdricks]
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000494 Biographical Directory of the United States Concress: William Hendricks]