Nelson Dewey

Nelson Dewey ( born December 19, 1813 in Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut; † July 21, 1889 in Cassville, Wisconsin ) was an American politician and from 1848 to 1852 the first governor of the state of Wisconsin.

Early years

Nelson Dewey was born in Connecticut, but moved early with his family in the state of New York. He also visited the elementary school and the Hamilton Academy in Hamilton. After he had earned his living as a teacher for several years, he studied law. In 1836 Dewey moved on behalf of a land speculation company in the Wisconsin Territory, where he settled in Cassville. Dewey's company speculated that Cassville would be the new capital of the region and invested a lot of money into the city. As Madison was new capital, the company went bankrupt and Dewey had to find a new job. He was employed by the management of the new Grant County. In this district he was also justice of the peace. After he was finally approved in 1838 as a lawyer, he was district attorney in this county.

In 1838 Dewey was elected to the Territorial Parliament, which he became president in 1840. In 1842 he was appointed to the Territorial Government. Since Dewey belonged to the Democratic Party, he lost in 1846, his offices in Grant County, as the Whig Party won a majority in the area. Meanwhile, Dewey had already begun to act as a lawyer and real estate business. He was also involved in the lead mines in Grant County. Through its business activities, he gained a certain reputation in Wisconsin.

Climb to the governor

After it became the dissolution of the territory and thus the transformation of the area into a regular state, the Democratic Party called a one Party to nominate a candidate for the gubernatorial elections. At the meeting there was with Hiram Barber and Morgan Lewis Martin two candidates split the delegates into two camps, with neither side able to achieve a majority. For this reason, we finally agreed on Nelson Dewey as a compromise candidate. This succeeded then to win the first election for governor against the Whig candidate John Hubbard Tweedy.

Governor of Wisconsin

Nelson Dewey took up his new post on June 7, 1848. After a re-election in 1849 he was able to exercise it until 5 January 1852. In 1849 the office of the public office holders were, including the governor, set to two years each. Dewey's first task was to monitor the transition from territory to any state of the United States and of the entry into force of the new constitution. He was also a staunch opponent of slavery and strongly opposed the expansion of the institution to new states or territories of the United States. Dewey sat back then for the direct election of U.S. senators - a proposal that was implemented nationwide in 1913 with an amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1851 Dewey opted not to run again.

Further CV

After the end of his governorship he sat 1853-1857 in the Senate of Wisconsin. In 1863 he ran unsuccessfully for the office of Lieutenant Governor. Also two attempts to return to the State Senate, failed in 1869 and in 1871. Between 1854 and 1865 he was curator of the University of Wisconsin and from 1874 to 1881 he was a director of the state prison in Waupun. Private impoverished Dewey in the 1870s, after he had taken over land speculation and railroad plans. In addition, he had left his wife and his property was a victim of a fire. Together with his wife Catherine Dunn Dewey had three children. He died penniless in 1889.