John W. Dana

John Winchester Dana ( born June 21, 1808 in Fryeburg, Oxford County, Massachusetts, † December 22, 1867 in Argentina ) was an American politician and 1847-1850 Governor of the State of Maine.

Early years and political rise

Born in present-day Maine John Dana attended after elementary school, the Fryeburg Academy. He first tried his hand at trading business, then decided to become a politician but. From 1841 to 1842 was Dana deputy in the House of Representatives from Maine; 1843-1844 he was a member of the State Senate and in 1844 even the Senate President. In this role, he had to officiate for a day as governor, in order to bridge a gap created on 4 January 1844. In 1846, Dana was then selected as the candidate of the Democratic Party as the new governor of his state.

Governor of Maine

Dana took up his new post on 13 May 1847, and could exercise after two re-election in 1847 and 1848 to 8 May 1850. During this time, the Mexican -American War took place and the slavery issue drew national Ebenene back to the forefront. Here, Maine presented as already under Dana's predecessor Hugh J. Anderson clearly on the side of the opponents of this institution. We have passed laws against slavery and the movement for the abolition of this institution in the Southern states was supported.

Further CV

After the end of his tenure, Dana was appointed American ambassador to Bolivia. This post he held 1853-1859. In 1861 he ran unsuccessfully for a return to the post of governor of Maine. After he retired from politics. He emigrated to Argentina, where he worked as a sheep farmer. There he died in 1867 of cholera. John Dana was married to Eliza Ann Osgood, with whom he had five children.