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John Ireland (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Ireland was the 18th Governor of Texas from 1883 to 1887. During Ireland's term, the University of Texas
was established, and construction on the Texas State Capitol
began. Ireland is credited with the selection of local pink granite
as the construction material.
to Irish immigrants Patrick and Rachel (Newton) Ireland. Although he had little formal education, when he was 18 he was appointed deputy sheriff of the county. He went on to study law and was admitted to the bar.
In 1852, Ireland moved to Texas
, where he settled in Seguin
and practiced law. Two years later, he married Mathilda Wicks Faircloth. She died in 1856, and the following year Ireland married Anna Maria Penn. They had three children together.
Ireland was elected the mayor of Seguin in 1858. A firm believer in states' rights, Ireland was an ardent secessionist and served as a delegate to the 1861 Secession Convention. He joined the Confederate States Army
as a private and was eventually promoted to colonel. Throughout the Civil War
, Ireland served within the Texas borders, patrolling along the Rio Grande
border and along the Gulf Coast.
Following the war, Ireland participated in the Reconstruction Convention of 1866 and was soon elected judge of the Seguin District. He was removed from his position the following year when Radical Republicans seized power.
and chaired the executive committee of the Democratic party. In 1875, he served as an associate justice on the Texas Supreme Court
. Later that year, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention
. The new state constitution reduced the number of associate justices on the supreme court, and in 1876 Ireland lost his position.
In late 1875, Ireland decided to run for the U.S. Senate. His primary competition was the current Governor of Texas
, Richard Coke
. Coke's supporters accused Ireland of having been a member of the Know-Nothing party and of opposing ratification of the new constitution. Ireland lost the election and remained in the Texas House.
During his time as a state legislator, Ireland backed the bill creating the University of Texas at Austin
. He was also a proponent of low taxes and favored regulating the railroads. In 1882, Governor Oran Roberts declined to run again, and Ireland received the Democratic nomination. His main competition was G. "Wash" Jones of the Greenback
party. Ireland defeated Jones by over 48,000 votes. One of his first acts as governor was to have an amendment added to the state constitution establishing an ad valorem tax
. He also reformulated the policy for selling public lands. While "this policy at first increased the state's revenues...[it] eventually led to large accumulations of land in the form of cattle ranches." The ranchers soon began running barbed wire
around their own land and the public lands that they used, without permission, for grazing. This practice often cut farmers and other ranchers off from water. During a large drought in 1882, people began cutting the barbed wire, leading to violence between the ranchers and farmers. Ireland called a special session of the legislature in 1884 to pass a law allowing the Texas Rangers
to intervene in these disputes. The Rangers were able to quell some, but not all, of the violence.
Construction began on the new Texas State Capitol
building during Ireland's tenure. At his insistence, the building was constructed of Texas pink granite instead of imported Indiana limestone.
, Ireland lost everything. He died on March 15, 1896.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
was established, and construction on the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
began. Ireland is credited with the selection of local pink granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
as the construction material.
Early years
Ireland was born January 1, 1827 in Hart County, KentuckyHart County, Kentucky
Hart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...
to Irish immigrants Patrick and Rachel (Newton) Ireland. Although he had little formal education, when he was 18 he was appointed deputy sheriff of the county. He went on to study law and was admitted to the bar.
In 1852, Ireland moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he settled in Seguin
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
and practiced law. Two years later, he married Mathilda Wicks Faircloth. She died in 1856, and the following year Ireland married Anna Maria Penn. They had three children together.
Ireland was elected the mayor of Seguin in 1858. A firm believer in states' rights, Ireland was an ardent secessionist and served as a delegate to the 1861 Secession Convention. He joined the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
as a private and was eventually promoted to colonel. Throughout the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Ireland served within the Texas borders, patrolling along the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
border and along the Gulf Coast.
Following the war, Ireland participated in the Reconstruction Convention of 1866 and was soon elected judge of the Seguin District. He was removed from his position the following year when Radical Republicans seized power.
State politics
Ireland reentered politics in 1872, when he was elected to the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
and chaired the executive committee of the Democratic party. In 1875, he served as an associate justice on the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
. Later that year, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention
Texas Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Texas.Texas has had seven constitutions: the constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, the 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, the state constitutions of 1845,...
. The new state constitution reduced the number of associate justices on the supreme court, and in 1876 Ireland lost his position.
In late 1875, Ireland decided to run for the U.S. Senate. His primary competition was the current Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
, Richard Coke
Richard Coke
Richard Coke was an American lawyer, farmer, and statesman from Waco, Texas. He was the 15th governor of Texas from 1874 to 1876 and represented Texas in the U.S. Senate from 1877 to 1895. His uncle was Congressman Richard Coke, Jr..Coke was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, to John and Eliza Coke...
. Coke's supporters accused Ireland of having been a member of the Know-Nothing party and of opposing ratification of the new constitution. Ireland lost the election and remained in the Texas House.
During his time as a state legislator, Ireland backed the bill creating the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He was also a proponent of low taxes and favored regulating the railroads. In 1882, Governor Oran Roberts declined to run again, and Ireland received the Democratic nomination. His main competition was G. "Wash" Jones of the Greenback
Greenback
Greenback may refer to:In currency:* Greenback , a fiat currency issued during the American Civil War**United States Note**Demand Note, issued in 1861–62* A modern United States Federal Reserve Note...
party. Ireland defeated Jones by over 48,000 votes. One of his first acts as governor was to have an amendment added to the state constitution establishing an ad valorem tax
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
. He also reformulated the policy for selling public lands. While "this policy at first increased the state's revenues...[it] eventually led to large accumulations of land in the form of cattle ranches." The ranchers soon began running barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
around their own land and the public lands that they used, without permission, for grazing. This practice often cut farmers and other ranchers off from water. During a large drought in 1882, people began cutting the barbed wire, leading to violence between the ranchers and farmers. Ireland called a special session of the legislature in 1884 to pass a law allowing the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
to intervene in these disputes. The Rangers were able to quell some, but not all, of the violence.
Construction began on the new Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
building during Ireland's tenure. At his insistence, the building was constructed of Texas pink granite instead of imported Indiana limestone.
Later years
After completing his second term in office, Ireland again ran for a US Senate seat and again lost. He returned to Seguin to practice law. His profits were invested in land and railroad stocks. During the panic of 1893Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, Ireland lost everything. He died on March 15, 1896.
External links
- Entry for John Ireland from the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas published 1880, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.