Samuel Bigger

Samuel Bigger ( born March 20, 1802 in Franklin, Ohio; † September 9, 1845 in Fort Wayne, Indiana ) was an American politician and from 1840 to 1843, the seventh Governor of the State of Indiana.

Early years and political rise

Samuel Bigger was the son of John Bigger, a veteran of the War of Independence and well-known politician in Ohio. The young Samuel went to Ohio University and then studied law. In 1829 he moved to Indiana, where he first settled as a lawyer in Liberty and then in Rushville. In 1833, Bigger was elected to the House of Representatives from Indiana, where he remained until 1835. Between 1836 and 1840 he was Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial District of the State of. On August 3, 1840, he was elected as a candidate of the Whigs as the new governor of Indiana, where he prevailed with 53.7 percent of the vote to Democrat Tilghman Howard.

Governor of Indiana

Bigger joined his three -year term on December 9, 1840. During his reign almost all the laws of the State have been revised. Throughout his tenure Indiana suffered the consequences of the economic crisis of 1837 and the consequent collapse of almost all infrastructure programs. In addition, Bigger put on his re-election with the Methodist Church in unsuccessful election campaign. His opponent James Whitcomb belonged to this denomination and Bigger made ​​during the election campaign some disparaging remarks about this religious community. The conflict contributed to the defeat Biggers, who only came to 48.5 percent of the vote.

After being voted out, Samuel Bigger withdrew from politics. He moved to Fort Wayne, where he worked as a lawyer. He died three years after the end of his governorship at the age of 43 years.