Augustus C. French

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Augustus Chaflin French
Augustus C. French
In office
December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853
Lieutenant Joseph Wells (1846-1849)
William McMurtry (1849-1853)
Preceded by Thomas Ford
Succeeded by Joel Aldrich Matteson
Born August 2, 1808(1808-08-02)
Hill, New Hampshire
Died September 4, 1864 (aged 56)
Lebanon, Illinois
Political party Democratic
Spouse Lucy Southwick
Residence Crawford County; St. Clair County
Occupation Attorney; Professor of Law
Profession Politician

Augustus Chaflin French (August 2, 1808 - September 4, 1864) was the governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1846 until 1853. He is best known for his fiscal policies, which eliminated the state's debt by the end of his administration, and for the lack of scandals during his administration.

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[edit] Early life and political rise

French was born in Hill, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. His father died when he was a child, and he struggled to obtain an education, finally leaving Dartmouth College due to lack of funds. Studying at home, he was admitted to the bar in 1823. He then travelled to Albion, Edwards County, Illinois but soon moved to Edgar Courthouse (later renamed Paris)[1] in the newly established Edgar County, where he acquired a successful law practice. On his mother's death, he assumed responsibility for his younger siblings.

French entered politics in 1837, first serving a term in the Illinois legislature, then becoming the Receiver of Public Monies (ie, receiver of money paid to the U.S. government for land) at Palestine in Crawford County, Illinois, where he took up residence. In 1844 he was a presidential elector for James K. Polk (the winner in that election), and became popular in Illinois politics through his advocacy of a war with Mexico. French was nominated for governor by his party and won the election for governor, taking office in December of 1846.

[edit] Administration

French immediately pushed for the funding to retire the state's debt, an attitude that characterized his entire tenure in office. He saw the last of the Mormons leave the state in February, 1846 after their city charter at Nauvoo had been revoked the previous year. Two events significant to the growth of Chicago occurred during French's term of office: the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed, and the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was begun. The canal connected the Illinois River (and thus, the Mississippi River) with the Great Lakes, while the railroad connected Chicago with the lead mines in Galena, Illinois (it would be completed in 1853).

A new state constitution was adopted in 1848, and among its changes from the 1818 constitution were new provisions for the election and terms of office for the state governor. French was unanimously renominated for the office by his party, and easily won re-election. He continued his efforts to reduce the state's debt, and by the time he left office in 1853, the entire deficit had been eliminated.

[edit] Later life

After his retirement from government, French would continue his public service as a bank commissioner (appointed to that position by his successor, Governor Matteson), and then relocated to Lebanon in St. Clair County, Illinois, where he became a Professor of Law at McKendree College.

In 1858 he ran for State Superintendent of Public Instruction as the nominee of the Douglas wing of his party, but was defeated. He was a delegate to the unproductive Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1862, which became known as the "Copperhead Convention" for its anti-war stance during the Civil War.

Augustus French died on Sep 4, 1864 in Lebanon, and was buried there in College Hill Cemetery.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Adams, James N. (compiler) (1989), Keller, William E., ed., Illinois Place Names, Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society, pp. 467, ISBN 0912226242 

[edit] Bibliography and References

Preceded by
Thomas Ford		 Governor of Illinois
1846–1853		 Succeeded by
Joel Aldrich Matteson
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