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William Pennington | |
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| 23rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office February 1, 1860 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | James L. Orr |
| Succeeded by | Galusha A. Grow |
| Leader of theHouse Republican Conference | |
| In office February 1, 1860 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Succeeded by | Galusha A. Grow |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's5th district | |
| In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Jacob R. Wortendyke |
| Succeeded by | Nehemiah Perry |
| 13thGovernor of New Jersey | |
| In office October 27, 1837 – October 27, 1843 | |
| Preceded by | Philemon Dickerson |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Haines |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly | |
| In office 1828 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1796-05-04)May 4, 1796 Newark, New Jersey |
| Died | February 16, 1862(1862-02-16) (aged 65) Newark, New Jersey |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Princeton College |
| Profession | Law |
| Signature | .png) |
William Pennington (May 4, 1796 – February 16, 1862) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the 13thgovernor of New Jersey from 1837 to 1843. He served one term in theUnited States House of Representatives, during which he served as the first RepublicanSpeaker of the House from 1860 to 1861.
Born inNewark, New Jersey, he graduated from the College of New Jersey (nowPrinceton University) in 1813 and then studied law withTheodore Frelinghuysen. He was admitted to the bar in 1817 and served as a clerk of theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey (where his father was a judge) from 1817 to 1826. His father,William Sanford Pennington was a Revolutionary War veteran and was himself Governor of New Jersey from 1813 to 1815 before President Madison appointed him as a federal judge.
As a member of theWhig party, he was elected to theNew Jersey General Assembly in 1828 and then was elected Governor of New Jersey annually from 1837 to 1843. His tenure as governor was marked by the "Broad Seal War" controversy. Following a disputed election for Congressional Representatives in New Jersey, Pennington certified the election of five Whig candidates while five Democrats were certified by the DemocraticSecretary of State. After a lengthy dispute, the Democrats were eventually seated.[1]
InNovember 1858, Pennington was elected as aRepublican to representNew Jersey's 5th congressional district in theU.S. House of Representatives during the36th Congress but only after a protractedelection for speaker of the House of Representatives lasting 44 ballots over eight weeks (December 5, 1859, to February 1, 1860).[2] It was the second time since 1789 that the House elected afreshman congressman as its speaker (afterHenry Clay in 1811[a]); the feat has not been repeated since.[3]
In March 1861, he penned his name on theCorwin Amendment, aproposed amendment to theU.S. Constitution shielding state "domestic institutions" (aeuphemism forslavery) from future constitutional amendments and from abolition or interference by Congress. Submitted to the states forratification shortly before the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, it was not ratified by the requisite number of states.[4]
After running unsuccessfully for reelection in 1860 to the37th Congress, he returned to New Jersey, dying in Newark of an unintentionalmorphine overdose.[5] He was interred atMount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor of New Jersey October 27, 1837 – October 27, 1843 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives February 1, 1860 – March 4, 1861 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's 5th congressional district March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1861 | Succeeded by |
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| East New Jersey | ||
| West New Jersey | ||
| Dominion of New England (1688–89) | ||
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| State (since 1776) |
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* UnderN.J.S.A. 52:15-5 (as amended in 2005), an acting governor serving for 180 continuous days or more is conferred the title of Governor. | ||
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