Christopher Harrison
Christopher Harrison (1780 - 1868) was the first Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, serving with Governor Jonathan Jennings. Harrison was briefly acting governor while Jennings' was conducting negotiation with the native tribes in northern Indiana. There is no known relationship between Harrison and an early territorial governor of Indiana, William Henry Harrison.
Biography
Harrison was born in Cambridge, Maryland sometime around 1790. His family was aristocratic and he was distantly related to William Henry Harrison. He attended St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. After his graduation Harrison worked as a clerk for William Patterson, the president of the Bank of Baltimore, and became a tutor for Patterson's daughter Elizabeth. Hoosier tradition holds that Harrison courted Elizabeth and she at one point promised to marry him. However the match was opposed by her father who forced her to break off the engangment. Harrison secretly continued to carry on a love a love affair with Elizabeth for some time. In 1803 Elizabeth was introduced to to Jérôme Bonaparte who was visiting Baltimore with the French Ambassador. Elizabeth eventually married Jérôme Bonaparte by whom she had a child. After a brief marriage Jerome abandoned Elizabeth at the request of his brother Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France.[1] Harrison's considered his reputation tarnished from this affair and he left Maryland and moved to Indiana around 1808 and settled near Hanover, Indiana where he lived for five years as a hermit in his cabin with only a dog for company.[2]
He sold his cabin in 1815 to George Logan. and settled in Salem, Indiana where he opened a business in partnership with Jonathan Jennings selling dry goods.
Political Career
In 1816 Jennings was elected as Governor of Indiana and he had convinced Harrison to run as his Lt. Governor. Harrison won the election defeating John Vawter and becoming Lt Governor of Indiana. In 1818 Jennings left the capitol to conduct negotiations with the native tribes in northern Indiana. While he was gone Harrison was left as acting governor.
Harrison became involved in a scandal when Jennings returned by refusing to vacate the governorship claiming Jennings' actions had violated a the state constitution and that Jennings was no longer eligible to be governor. He seized the state seal and setup his own governor's office from where he attempted to run the state. After a brief period of wrangling in the state legislature, the impeachment proceedings against Jennings failed and Harrison was forced to vacate the governors position and it was returned to Jennings. Harrison became very angry with the outcome and promptly resigned his position as governor stating: "As the officers of the executive department of government and the General Assembly have refused to recognize and acknowledge that authority which according to my understanding is constitutionally attached to the office the name itself in my estimation is not worth retaining."[3]
The legislature accepted his resignation and passed a resolution stating: "That the House of Representatives view the conduct and deportment of Lieutenant Governor Christopher Harrison as both dignified and correct during the late investigation of the differences existing in the executive department of this State."[4]
Harrison ran against Jennings in the 1819 campaign for governor. Harrison was defeated 9,168 to 2,088.[5]
Jennings was conciliatory towards Harrison and he appointed and in 1821 Harrison was appointed as a member of the committee who choose Indianapolis as the site for the new state capitol. Harrison was the first commissioner to arrive at the location.[6]
Later life
After his short public career Harrison returned to Salem. There Harrison lived a relatively reclusive life. His home was known in the community for his many flowers. Harrison was also an artist and he created many works of art including several portraits of several early Hoosiers. Many of his portraits are on display in the Indiana State Library and in the Indiana State Museum.[7]
In 1834 Harrison returned to Maryland after his father's death and inherited his family plantation which he farmed for several years. Upon taking ownership Harrison freed all of his families slaves. Harrison joined a Quaker church during the 1840s. Harrison died at age 88 in 1868 in Talbot County, Maryland. Harrison never married.[8]
References
- ^ Maurice Thompson (1898). Stories of Indiana. American Book Company. pp. 128–130.
- ^ Jacob Piatt Dunn (1919). Indiana and Indianians. American Historical Society. p. 375.
- ^ Jacob Piatt Dunn (1919). Indiana and Indianians. American Historical Society. p. 378.
- ^ Jacob Piatt Dunn (1919). Indiana and Indianians. American Historical Society. p. 379.
- ^ Jacob Piatt Dunn (1919). Indiana and Indianians. American Historical Society. p. 379.
- ^ Indiana Historical Bureau. "An Introduction to The Indianapolis Donation". IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ Mary Quick Burnet (1921). Art and Artists of Indiana. Century. p. 448.
- ^ William Wesley Woollen (1975). Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0405068964.