Hiram Runnels

Hiram George Runnels (* December 15, 1796 in Hancock County, Georgia, † December 17, 1857 in Houston, Texas ) was an American politician and 1833-1835 Governor of the State of Mississippi.

Early years and political rise

Hiram Runnels attended the public schools in Georgia and later in Mississippi. First, he was a resident of Monticello. In 1822 he moved to the capital Jackson. Between 1822 and 1830 he was head of the Court of the State of Mississippi as State Auditor. Runnels was a member of the founded by President Andrew Jackson Democratic Party. He was a loyal supporter of the president and supported this during the Nullifikationskrise with South Carolina. In 1830 he was a deputy in the House of Representatives from Mississippi.

Governor of Mississippi

In the year 1831, Runnels competed unsuccessfully for the office of governor of his state. In May 1833, he was successful. He managed to win the gubernatorial election against incumbent Abram M. Scott. Scott then died before the end of his term. Due to a short time before reform of the constitution, there was a confusion about the exact beginning of the term of office of Governor Runnels. They waited until November 30, 1833 On this day should be under the amended Constitution committed the term of office of the new governor. The months from June to November were the President of the State Senate, Charles Lynch, bridged. Runnels took up his new post on November 30, 1833. In his two-year tenure, the financing of the new government building was secured in Jackson and militia reformed. The importation of slaves for the purpose of auctioning has been banned, but that does not mean the end of slavery. The recently ceded by the Indians land in the north of the state was divided into 16 new counties.

In 1835, Runnels was not re-elected. He resigned from his post on November 20 this year. But that he created a new problem. The legislature had meanwhile moved the beginning of the terms of office of Governors on January. As the state Senate was not in session at the time, was also the President of the Office does not take over. That happened on December 3, 1835, when John A. Quitman became the representative of the Governor. In the meantime, the state was for about two weeks without a governor.

Further CV

After his governorship Runnels was 1838 president of the new Union Bank and in 1841 once again a member of the House of Representatives of his State. In 1842, it came after the collapse of his bank to a dispute between Runnels and one of the directors, which even led to a duel. After this incident, Runnels moved to Texas. He was a delegate to the 1845 Constitutional Convention of that State in the year. Later, he was also a member of the Senate of that State. Hiram Runnels died in December 1857. He was married to Obedience A. Smith, with whom he had two children. His nephew Hardin R. Runnels later became governor of Texas.