James Henry Hammond

James Henry Hammond (* November 15, 1807 in Columbia, South Carolina, † November 13, 1864 in Beech Iceland, South Carolina ) was an American politician and from 1842 to 1844 Governor of South Carolina. He also represented this state in both chambers of Congress.

Early years

James Hammond attended until 1825, the South Carolina College, later the University of South Carolina. He then studied law. In addition, he worked as a teacher and newspaper editor. His newspaper "Southern Times ' supported during Nullifikationskrise the interests of South Carolina against the federal government. After qualifying as a lawyer in 1828, he opened a law office in Columbia. In 1831 he moved to a cotton plantation on the Savannah River. Hammond was also a member of the National Guard of South Carolina and brought it there until 1841 as a general. He was all his life a supporter of slavery. His slaves against he has often shown from the negative side and also not stopped them from torture. A stubborn he stepped on the rights of individual states to the federal government.

Political career

Hammond's political rise began in the 1832 and 1834. At that time he was one of the confidants of Governor Robert Young Hayne. Between 1835 and 1836 he was a delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. After he had resigned for health reasons of this mandate, he spent two years in Europe. After his return, he went back to his plantation. In 1840 he applied unsuccessfully for the post of governor of South Carolina.

In 1842 he was but then elected by the Members of Parliament to the Governor. In his two-year tenure, he promoted the education policy. But his main concern was the relationship with the federal government. Immediately after taking office, the new military academy " The Citadel " was in Charleston opened. Too in Columbia was a similar institution. So you wanted a hand create a competition with the Military Academy at West Point and at the same time train more Southerners to officers and soldiers. Governor placed great importance to these academies because he in 1842 the exit of South Carolina from the Union as inevitable held after a new protective tariff laws of the Federal Government. however, unlike in 1832 and 1860, he was in 1842, it will not get strong support in South Carolina.

After the expiration of his term of office on 1 December 1844 he was still politically active. In 1853 the Scripture published The Pro -Slavery Argument, in which he defended slavery. Already in 1850 he had attended a congress of the South in Nashville (Tennessee), has been discussed to date on the future of the South. Between 1857 and 1860 he was a member of the U.S. Senate. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency he resigned this mandate. Met in December 1860 in South Carolina, his long -cherished desire for the elimination of the state of the Union. He lived to the outbreak of the Civil War and died in November 1864 at his plantation " Redcliffe " in Aiken County. With him died one of the hardliners of the Old South.