Gabriel Slaughter
Gabriel Slaughter | |
|---|---|
| File:GabrielSlaughter.jpg | |
| 7th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office 1816–1820 | |
| Preceded by | George Madison |
| Succeeded by | John Adair |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 12, 1767 Culpepper County, Virginia |
| Died | September 19, 1830 (aged 62) Mercer County, Kentucky |
| Political party | Democratic Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Slaughter Sara Hord Elizabeth Rodes |
| Profession | Soldier, Farmer |
Gabriel Slaughter (December 12, 1767 – September 19, 1830) was the seventh Governor of Kentucky.
Early life
Gabriel Slaughter was born in Culpepper County, Virginia on December 12, 1767, the son of Robert and Susannah (Harrison) Slaughter.[1] His family moved to Kentucky when he was still a small child, and he was educated in the public schools there. He worked as a farmer until 1795 when he became a justice of the peace in Mercer County. An active member of the Kentucky militia, he attained the rank of major in 1802 and colonel in 1803.[2] He was recognized by the legislature for his service at the Battle of New Orleans.[3]
In 1786, Slaughter married a cousin, Sarah Slaughter, and the couple had two daughters. Following the death of his first wife, he married Sara Hord on March 9, 1797, a union that produced two sons and a daughter. After being widowed a second time, Slaughter married a widow, Elizabeth (Thompson) Rodes, on October 3, 1811.[4]
Political career
Slaughter's political career began with his 1797 election to the Kentucky House of Representatives, where he served until 1800. From 1801 to 1808, he served in the Kentucky Senate, and was elected lieutenant governor in 1808, serving under Charles Scott.[3] In 1812, Slaughter ran for governor of Kentucky against the state's first governor, Isaac Shelby. Despite Shelby's immense popularity, Slaughter refused to withdraw from the race, and was soundly beaten by more than a two-to-one margin.[5]
In 1816, Slaughter was again elected to the post of lieutenant governor, this time under George Madison. Madison died October 14, 1816, and Slaughter ascended to the governorship. Because this was the first time a sitting governor had died in office, some questioned the legality of Slaughter's status as governor. Another blow to Slaughter's popularity was his replacement of Secretary of State Charles S. Todd, son-in-law of twice-governor Shelby, with John Pope.[5] Pope was extremely unpopular for his vote in the U.S. Senate against declaring war in the War of 1812.[4]
On January 27, 1817, a faction in the Kentucky House of Representatives led by John C. Breckinridge, proposed a bill calling for the election of "a governor to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of" Governor Madison.[4][6] The measure failed, but the legislative elections of 1817 showed a popular mandate for a special gubernatorial election. The Kentucky House passed a bill calling for such elections by a vote of 56–30, but the measure died in the state senate.[4] Nevertheless, Slaughter was never officially given the title of governor, and was referred to as "lieutenant governor" or "acting governor" throughout his administration.[4] The General Assembly censured both Slaughter and Pope for failing to require the proper security and oath of office for the state treasurer.[5]
Slaughter's unpopularity led to the demise of many of his proposals, regardless of their merits. He proposed a comprehensive system of public schools, and though the idea had been proposed by previous governors, Slaughter proposed a plan for funding them. The hostile legislature refused the plan, and overrode Slaughter's vetoes of bills that allowed individual schools to be supported by lotteries. Slaughter further proposed a reform of the penal system and recommended internal improvements, including the creation of a state library. These measures were also rejected.[5]
Slaughter's governorship was further complicated by the financial panic of 1819, and he spent the majority of his term working to stabilize that state's economy. While Slaughter clashed with the General Assembly over potential solutions to the crisis at the state level, he adopted a strong states' rights policy at the national level. He challenged the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States and the Supreme Court's ruling that individual states could not tax branches of the Bank.[5]
Later life and death
Following his term as governor, Slaughter failed in a bid to return to the state senate in 1821, but was re-elected to the state House of Representatives in 1823, serving a single term. He then retired from politics and became an active lay minister of the Baptist faith. In 1829, he was appointed the the first board of trustees of Georgetown College, a Baptist college in Georgetown, Kentucky.[7]
He died on September 19, 1830, and was interred in his family's cemetery in Mercer County.[3]
References
- Harrison, Lowell H. (1992). Kleber, John E. (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813117720.
- Hopkins, James F. (2004). "Gabriel Slaughter". In Lowell Hayes Harrison (ed.). Kentucky's Governors. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813123267.
- "Kentucky Governor Gabriel Slaughter". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- Powell, Robert A. (1976). Kentucky Governors. Danville, Kentucky: Bluegrass Printing Company. ISBN B0006CPOVM.
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Footnotes
External links
- Famous Americans Biography
- Gabriel Slaughter at The Political Graveyard
- Kentucky Governors Historical Marker
