Alabama Governor. He served as the 17th Governor of Alabama during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1863. As a Jacksonian Democrat, he had entered Alabama politics in 1845 when the conflict over the expansion of slavery erupted pinning the South against the North. Elected on a platform of limited government, the realities of a civil war soon forced him to expand government funding and programs and ultimately resulted in his electoral defeat. His father, a physician and planter, crossed the Chattahoochee River from Georgia to Alabama in 1833 and began to purchase land around what is now Eufaula, Alabama. Four years later, after graduating from the University of Georgia, he joined his family in Alabama. The family soon became fairly wealthy land owners. He and his brother Eli had established a successful law firm. He married Mary Jane Battle, also of Eufaula, in 1843. They had one daughter who lived to adulthood, married twice, but had no children. Starting his political career in 1845, he was elected to the state Senate, serving one term. He returned to public office in 1851, having been elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. He left the state house when Governor Henry Collier appointed him circuit judge and was elected to the judgeship in 1852. Shorter remained a judge until his election as governor in 1861. One of his political goals was defending slavery. To become independent from the Northern states, he endorsed free trade, government investment in education, and internal improvements. With the election of Abraham Lincoln as the President of the United States, he knew that there would be no compromise with opponents of slavery, thus he joined other supporters of secession in creating the Confederate States of America. Representing Alabama, he was elected to the Provisional Confederate Congress, becoming part of writing The Constitution of the Confederate States. He was responsible for the compromise on admission of new states to the Confederacy that ended a bitter disagreement over the status of slavery in territories that might be added in the future. Despite his initial opposition to secession, he was elected on a pro-slavery and limited government ticket. He became the first governor elected under the flag of the Confederate States of America. In his inaugural address, he sought to unite Alabamians as a people distinct from the "Yankee race" and once again, spoke of the need to end commercial, social, and political dependence on the North. As governor, he was unable to stand off the strong Union military forces from invading the state. Besides facing the needs of a country in war, he had problems with military desertions, military training, and managing runaway slaves. He wanted to give aid to families of Confederate soldiers, but the Alabama Congress weakened the bill to save money. By 1863, however, he could no longer ignore the popular demand for government action to help all indigents as the people were going without food. Thus, he supported a measure passed in 1863 that appropriated funds to be distributed to counties for indigent citizens. He also employed state agents to purchase needed foodstuffs for distribution throughout the state. Although he supported the people's basic needs during the early years of the war, he did not even win over his own county in the 1863 gubernatorial race, losing the election by three votes to one. He did support Governor Thomas Hill Watts during the rest of the years of the war. After the war ended, and until his death seven years later, he returned to his law practice and attended conservative Reconstruction meetings in Montgomery trying to help Alabama recuperate from the loss of the war.

Alabama Governor. He served as the 17th Governor of Alabama during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1863. As a Jacksonian Democrat, he had entered Alabama politics in 1845 when the conflict over the expansion of slavery erupted pinning the South against the North. Elected on a platform of limited government, the realities of a civil war soon forced him to expand government funding and programs and ultimately resulted in his electoral defeat. His father, a physician and planter, crossed the Chattahoochee River from Georgia to Alabama in 1833 and began to purchase land around what is now Eufaula, Alabama. Four years later, after graduating from the University of Georgia, he joined his family in Alabama. The family soon became fairly wealthy land owners. He and his brother Eli had established a successful law firm. He married Mary Jane Battle, also of Eufaula, in 1843. They had one daughter who lived to adulthood, married twice, but had no children. Starting his political career in 1845, he was elected to the state Senate, serving one term. He returned to public office in 1851, having been elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. He left the state house when Governor Henry Collier appointed him circuit judge and was elected to the judgeship in 1852. Shorter remained a judge until his election as governor in 1861. One of his political goals was defending slavery. To become independent from the Northern states, he endorsed free trade, government investment in education, and internal improvements. With the election of Abraham Lincoln as the President of the United States, he knew that there would be no compromise with opponents of slavery, thus he joined other supporters of secession in creating the Confederate States of America. Representing Alabama, he was elected to the Provisional Confederate Congress, becoming part of writing The Constitution of the Confederate States. He was responsible for the compromise on admission of new states to the Confederacy that ended a bitter disagreement over the status of slavery in territories that might be added in the future. Despite his initial opposition to secession, he was elected on a pro-slavery and limited government ticket. He became the first governor elected under the flag of the Confederate States of America. In his inaugural address, he sought to unite Alabamians as a people distinct from the "Yankee race" and once again, spoke of the need to end commercial, social, and political dependence on the North. As governor, he was unable to stand off the strong Union military forces from invading the state. Besides facing the needs of a country in war, he had problems with military desertions, military training, and managing runaway slaves. He wanted to give aid to families of Confederate soldiers, but the Alabama Congress weakened the bill to save money. By 1863, however, he could no longer ignore the popular demand for government action to help all indigents as the people were going without food. Thus, he supported a measure passed in 1863 that appropriated funds to be distributed to counties for indigent citizens. He also employed state agents to purchase needed foodstuffs for distribution throughout the state. Although he supported the people's basic needs during the early years of the war, he did not even win over his own county in the 1863 gubernatorial race, losing the election by three votes to one. He did support Governor Thomas Hill Watts during the rest of the years of the war. After the war ended, and until his death seven years later, he returned to his law practice and attended conservative Reconstruction meetings in Montgomery trying to help Alabama recuperate from the loss of the war.