Thomas A. Hendricks
Encyclopedia
Thomas Andrews Hendricks (September 7, 1819 November 25, 1885) was an American
politician
who served as a Representative
and a Senator
from Indiana
, the 16th Governor of Indiana
(1873-1877), and the 21st Vice President of the United States
(1885). The first Democratic governor to be elected in the Northern United States following the American Civil War
, and having defended the Democratic position in the Senate during the war, Hendricks quickly grew in popularity among the national party. After two previous failed attempts to win election to the governor's office, his term was marked by the Panic of 1873
, which consumed most of his energies. He was opposed by a strong Republican majority in the Indiana General Assembly
, and was unable to enact any significant legislation. Hendricks was the unsuccessful candidate for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with Samuel Tilden in the controversial presidential election of 1876
. Despite his poor health, he accepted his party's second nomination to run for Vice President in the election of 1884
as Grover Cleveland
's running mate, and served in that office until his death only eight months later.
on September 7, 1819, the son of John and Jane Thomson Hendricks. He moved with his parents to Indiana in 1820 after being urged to do so by his uncle, William Hendricks
, who promised the family they would enjoy prosperity in the young state. William Hendricks was a successful politician who was Governor of Indiana
from 1822 to 1825 and a Senator from Indiana from 1825 to 1837. The family settled on a farm near his uncle's home in Madison
, but moved to Shelby County
in 1822. Hendricks' father became a moderately wealthy farmer, and operated a successful general store, and became involved in politics. Their home was frequently visited by the state's leading men and from an early age Hendricks was influenced to enter politics.
Hendricks' education began in local school, and upon completion he pursued classical studies and graduated from Hanover College
in 1841 in the same class as fellow future-Governor of Indiana Albert G. Porter
. He moved on to study law in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
. He returned to Indiana and began practicing law in the office of Stephen Major in Shelbyville
and was admitted to the bar
in 1843. Hendricks was married to Eliza Morgan on September 26, 1845 after a two year courtship. Their only child, a son named Morgan, was born January 16, 1848. The child died in 1851, age three.
in 1848 after defeating Whig
candidate Martin M. Ray, and served a single one-year term. That year he served as speaker of the house. He was elected as a delegate to the state's second constitutional convention in 1851. At the convention Hendricks was part of the committee that created the organization of the townships and counties of the state, decided upon the taxation and financial portion of the constitution, and also debated the clauses on the powers of the different offices. He also argued strongly for a powerful judiciary and the abolishment of grand juries.
Hendricks ran for Congress in 1850 and was elected as a Democrat to the thirty-second and thirty-third Congresses serving from March 4, 1851 to March 4, 1855. While in Congress, Hendricks was Chairman of the Committee on Mileage
and the Committee on Invalid Pensions
. In Congress he supported the principle of popular-sovereignty and the extension of slavery into the western United States. The position was very unpopular in his district and led to his defeat in his 1854 re-election campaign. Following his tenure in Congress, Hendricks was appointed Commissioner of the General Land Office
by President Franklin Pierce
and served there from 1855 until 1859. His time in the office was very busy as the government was going through one of its largest periods of land sales in history.
At the end of his time in the land office, he returned to his Shelby County home. In 1860, he moved to Indianapolis. He campaigned in an unsuccessful attempt as the Democratic candidate for Governor of Indiana
in 1860, but lost to the Republican
Henry S. Lane by over 20,000 votes. He opened a law office the following year with Oscar B. Hord and practiced there until he was elected by the Indiana General Assembly
to the United States Senate
in 1863, during the American Civil War
.
In the Senate, Hendricks was part of a very small Democratic minority and was often suspected of disloyalty. He delivered several speeches to the body and was constantly attempting to prevent the passage of what he thought was radical legislation during the war period. When the war ended, he also opposed the post-war constitutional amendments (13th
, 14th
, and 15th
amendments upon ratification) that banned many southerners from voting, granted voting rights to males of all races, and abolished slavery. The Indiana General Assembly
was re-taken by the Republicans in the year that his term expired, and he was not reelected to a second term. His seat was taken by Republican Governor Oliver Morton.
Hendricks ran for governor again in 1868, but he lost to Conrad Baker
by 961 votes in the state's closest gubernatorial election. Hendricks again returned to his law practice which took on Governor Baker as a partner only a couple of years later. The firm of Baker, Hort, and Hendricks was passed on to Baker's son who took a new partner, Edward Daniels, and renamed the firm Baker & Daniels
, which grew into one of the leading law firms in the United States.
During the presidential election of 1872
, the Democrats supported and subsequently nominated the Liberal Republican
candidate, Horace Greeley
. Because Greeley died only days after the popular vote, Hendricks received 42 electoral votes from faithless elector
s previously pledged to Greeley.
in 1872, defeating Thomas M. Browne
, 189,424 to 188,276 and thus winning by only 1,148 votes. He was the first Democratic Governor elected in the North after the American Civil War
. Hendricks inherited a state government that was populated almost exclusively by Republicans and had been under almost continual Republican control for twenty years. He found himself regularly at odds with the Republican controlled legislature, who prevented him from achieving many of his legislative goals.
Hendricks' term occurred during the post-war depression, the Panic of 1873
, which led to a major economic downturn in the state. Unemployment increased rapidly, numerous businesses failed, multiple worker strikes occurred, and farm prices declined drastically. He twice called out the state militia to end workers' strikes forceably. One of the strikes was a mining strike in Clay County, and the other was a railroad workers' strike in Logansport
; both groups were unhappy with large wage cuts. The militia was used to protect strikebreakers who continued operations until the strikers gave up.
Hendricks signed into law the Baxter Bill in 1873, which put in place temperance laws. He personally had favored a licensing law, which he viewed as a compromise on the temperance issue, but signed the Baxter Bill knowing that the assembly would only override his veto, and he wished to be seen as doing the will of the people. The law however, proved to be unenforceable and was repealed in 1875. Hendricks began a debate on building a new Indiana Statehouse. The existing statehouse at the time had become far too small for the growing government that had been forced to begin renting building around Indianapolis to hold government bureaus. Besides its size, the building was also in severe need of maintenance and had become very dilapidated. The roof in the Hall of Representatives had collapsed in 1867, and the building was condemned by public inspectors in 1873. Hendricks was the keynote speaker when the new statehouse's foundation was laid in 1880.
He did succeed in encouraging legislation to enact both election reform (in response to accusations of corruption in the last election), and judiciary reform. Otherwise his term as governor was uneventful as he was unable to come to terms with the legislature. All of his other legislation, including appropriations bills, was delayed or never passed.
Hendricks ran as an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with Samuel Tilden in the presidential election of 1876
. The election was disputed, as their ticket won the popular vote, but came up one vote short in the electoral college. Twenty votes were still disputed and a commission was created to determine to whom the votes should go. In a party line vote, a commission awarded the disputed votes to the Republican candidate, with many historians believing that the Compromise of 1877
was struck to resolve the dispute. The Democratic convention again nominated him for the Vice Presidency in 1880, but he declined for health reasons.
Hendricks ran on the national ticket again in 1884 and was elected Vice President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland
. Hendricks had been in poor health for several years, and he only served from March 4, 1885, until his death a few months later during a trip home to Indianapolis. He complained of feeling ill the morning before his death and went to bed early. He died in his sleep that night. His funeral was large with a ceremony held in St. Paul's Cathedral which was attended by dignitaries from across the nation including President Cleveland. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery
. With his death, the Vice Presidency became vacant until Levi Morton became Vice President in 1889.
Hendricks remains the only Vice President (who did not also serve as President) whose portrait appears on U.S. paper money. His engraved portrait appears on the tombstone $10.00 silver certificate of 1886. The nickname derives from shape of the border outline of his portrait, a shape that resembles a tombstone. He continued a line of Indiana presidential and vice-presidential candidates that lasted for several decades as Indiana became and remained a critical swing state in national politics.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as a Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and a Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, the 16th Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
(1873-1877), and the 21st Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
(1885). The first Democratic governor to be elected in the Northern United States following the American 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...
, and having defended the Democratic position in the Senate during the war, Hendricks quickly grew in popularity among the national party. After two previous failed attempts to win election to the governor's office, his term was marked by the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
, which consumed most of his energies. He was opposed by a strong Republican majority in the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
, and was unable to enact any significant legislation. Hendricks was the unsuccessful candidate for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with Samuel Tilden in the controversial presidential election of 1876
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
. Despite his poor health, he accepted his party's second nomination to run for Vice President in the election of 1884
United States presidential election, 1884
The United States presidential election of 1884 saw the first election of a Democrat as President of the United States since the election of 1856. New York Governor Grover Cleveland narrowly defeated Republican former United States Senator James G. Blaine of Maine to break the longest losing streak...
as Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
's running mate, and served in that office until his death only eight months later.
Family and education
Thomas Hendricks was born near East Fultonham, OhioEast Fultonham, Ohio
East Fultonham is a census-designated place in central Newton Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43735. It is located along U.S. Route 22 a short distance east of the village of Fultonham.It is noted as the...
on September 7, 1819, the son of John and Jane Thomson Hendricks. He moved with his parents to Indiana in 1820 after being urged to do so by his uncle, William Hendricks
William Hendricks
William Hendricks was a Democratic-Republican member of the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1822, the third Governor of Indiana from 1822 to 1825, and an Anti-Jacksonian member of the U.S. Senate from 1825 to 1837. He led much of his family into politics and founded one of the largest...
, who promised the family they would enjoy prosperity in the young state. William Hendricks was a successful politician who was Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
from 1822 to 1825 and a Senator from Indiana from 1825 to 1837. The family settled on a farm near his uncle's home in Madison
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
, but moved to Shelby County
Shelby County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,445 people, 16,561 households, and 12,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile . There were 17,633 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
in 1822. Hendricks' father became a moderately wealthy farmer, and operated a successful general store, and became involved in politics. Their home was frequently visited by the state's leading men and from an early age Hendricks was influenced to enter politics.
Hendricks' education began in local school, and upon completion he pursued classical studies and graduated from Hanover College
Hanover College
Hanover College is a private liberal arts college, located in Hanover, Indiana, near the banks of the Ohio River. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The college was founded in 1827 by the Rev. John Finley Crowe, making it the oldest private college in Indiana. The Hanover...
in 1841 in the same class as fellow future-Governor of Indiana Albert G. Porter
Albert G. Porter
Albert Gallatin Porter was an American politician who served as the 19th Governor of Indiana from 1881 to 1885 and as a United States Congressman from 1859 to 1863. Originally a Democrat, he joined the Republican Party in 1856 after being expelled by the pro-slavery faction of the Democratic Party...
. He moved on to study law in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
. He returned to Indiana and began practicing law in the office of Stephen Major in Shelbyville
Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 17,951 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Shelby County...
and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1843. Hendricks was married to Eliza Morgan on September 26, 1845 after a two year courtship. Their only child, a son named Morgan, was born January 16, 1848. The child died in 1851, age three.
Early political career
Hendricks was a member of the state House of RepresentativesIndiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
in 1848 after defeating Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
candidate Martin M. Ray, and served a single one-year term. That year he served as speaker of the house. He was elected as a delegate to the state's second constitutional convention in 1851. At the convention Hendricks was part of the committee that created the organization of the townships and counties of the state, decided upon the taxation and financial portion of the constitution, and also debated the clauses on the powers of the different offices. He also argued strongly for a powerful judiciary and the abolishment of grand juries.
Hendricks ran for Congress in 1850 and was elected as a Democrat to the thirty-second and thirty-third Congresses serving from March 4, 1851 to March 4, 1855. While in Congress, Hendricks was Chairman of the Committee on Mileage
United States House Committee on Mileage
The United States House Committee on Mileage is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.The jurisdiction of the committee is described in Rule XI: "The ascertaining of the travel of Members of the House shall be made by the Committee on Mileage and reported to the...
and the Committee on Invalid Pensions
United States House Committee on Invalid Pensions
The United States House Committee on Invalid Pensions is a former committee of the United States House of Representatives from 1831 to 1946.The committee was created on January 10, 1831 with jurisdiction over matters relating to pensions for disabled veterans. Originally, the jurisdiction of the...
. In Congress he supported the principle of popular-sovereignty and the extension of slavery into the western United States. The position was very unpopular in his district and led to his defeat in his 1854 re-election campaign. Following his tenure in Congress, Hendricks was appointed Commissioner of the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
by President Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
and served there from 1855 until 1859. His time in the office was very busy as the government was going through one of its largest periods of land sales in history.
At the end of his time in the land office, he returned to his Shelby County home. In 1860, he moved to Indianapolis. He campaigned in an unsuccessful attempt as the Democratic candidate for Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
in 1860, but lost to the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Henry S. Lane by over 20,000 votes. He opened a law office the following year with Oscar B. Hord and practiced there until he was elected by the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1863, during the American 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...
.
Senator
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, passed by the House on January 31, 1865, and adopted on December 6, 1865. On...
, 14th
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
, and 15th
Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"...
amendments upon ratification) that banned many southerners from voting, granted voting rights to males of all races, and abolished slavery. The Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
was re-taken by the Republicans in the year that his term expired, and he was not reelected to a second term. His seat was taken by Republican Governor Oliver Morton.
Hendricks ran for governor again in 1868, but he lost to Conrad Baker
Conrad Baker
Conrad Baker was a state representative, 15th Lieutenant Governor, and the 15th Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1867 to 1873...
by 961 votes in the state's closest gubernatorial election. Hendricks again returned to his law practice which took on Governor Baker as a partner only a couple of years later. The firm of Baker, Hort, and Hendricks was passed on to Baker's son who took a new partner, Edward Daniels, and renamed the firm Baker & Daniels
Baker & Daniels
Baker & Daniels LLP is a full-service law firm representing clients in regional, national and international matters.With more than 370 lawyers and legal professionals, the firm counsels clients in transactional, regulatory and litigation issues throughout the United States and around the world...
, which grew into one of the leading law firms in the United States.
During the presidential election of 1872
United States presidential election, 1872
In the United States presidential election of 1872, incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant was easily elected to a second term in office with Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts as his running mate, despite a split within the Republican Party that resulted in a defection of many Liberal Republicans...
, the Democrats supported and subsequently nominated the Liberal Republican
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
candidate, Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
. Because Greeley died only days after the popular vote, Hendricks received 42 electoral votes from faithless elector
Faithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
s previously pledged to Greeley.
Governor
In his third attempt, Hendricks was elected Governor of IndianaGovernor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
in 1872, defeating Thomas M. Browne
Thomas M. Browne
Thomas McLelland Browne was a U.S. Representative from Indiana.Born in New Paris, Ohio, Browne moved to Indiana in January 1844.He attended the common schools.He moved to Winchester, Indiana, in 1848.He studied law....
, 189,424 to 188,276 and thus winning by only 1,148 votes. He was the first Democratic Governor elected in the North after the American 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...
. Hendricks inherited a state government that was populated almost exclusively by Republicans and had been under almost continual Republican control for twenty years. He found himself regularly at odds with the Republican controlled legislature, who prevented him from achieving many of his legislative goals.
Hendricks' term occurred during the post-war depression, the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
, which led to a major economic downturn in the state. Unemployment increased rapidly, numerous businesses failed, multiple worker strikes occurred, and farm prices declined drastically. He twice called out the state militia to end workers' strikes forceably. One of the strikes was a mining strike in Clay County, and the other was a railroad workers' strike in Logansport
Logansport, Indiana
Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...
; both groups were unhappy with large wage cuts. The militia was used to protect strikebreakers who continued operations until the strikers gave up.
Hendricks signed into law the Baxter Bill in 1873, which put in place temperance laws. He personally had favored a licensing law, which he viewed as a compromise on the temperance issue, but signed the Baxter Bill knowing that the assembly would only override his veto, and he wished to be seen as doing the will of the people. The law however, proved to be unenforceable and was repealed in 1875. Hendricks began a debate on building a new Indiana Statehouse. The existing statehouse at the time had become far too small for the growing government that had been forced to begin renting building around Indianapolis to hold government bureaus. Besides its size, the building was also in severe need of maintenance and had become very dilapidated. The roof in the Hall of Representatives had collapsed in 1867, and the building was condemned by public inspectors in 1873. Hendricks was the keynote speaker when the new statehouse's foundation was laid in 1880.
He did succeed in encouraging legislation to enact both election reform (in response to accusations of corruption in the last election), and judiciary reform. Otherwise his term as governor was uneventful as he was unable to come to terms with the legislature. All of his other legislation, including appropriations bills, was delayed or never passed.
Vice President, death and legacy
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
. The election was disputed, as their ticket won the popular vote, but came up one vote short in the electoral college. Twenty votes were still disputed and a commission was created to determine to whom the votes should go. In a party line vote, a commission awarded the disputed votes to the Republican candidate, with many historians believing that the Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877, also known as the Corrupt Bargain, refers to a purported informal, unwritten deal that settled the disputed 1876 U.S. Presidential election and ended Congressional Reconstruction. Through it, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was awarded the White House over Democrat Samuel J...
was struck to resolve the dispute. The Democratic convention again nominated him for the Vice Presidency in 1880, but he declined for health reasons.
Hendricks ran on the national ticket again in 1884 and was elected Vice President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
. Hendricks had been in poor health for several years, and he only served from March 4, 1885, until his death a few months later during a trip home to Indianapolis. He complained of feeling ill the morning before his death and went to bed early. He died in his sleep that night. His funeral was large with a ceremony held in St. Paul's Cathedral which was attended by dignitaries from across the nation including President Cleveland. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, is the third largest non-governmental cemetery in the United States at . It contains of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest...
. With his death, the Vice Presidency became vacant until Levi Morton became Vice President in 1889.
Hendricks remains the only Vice President (who did not also serve as President) whose portrait appears on U.S. paper money. His engraved portrait appears on the tombstone $10.00 silver certificate of 1886. The nickname derives from shape of the border outline of his portrait, a shape that resembles a tombstone. He continued a line of Indiana presidential and vice-presidential candidates that lasted for several decades as Indiana became and remained a critical swing state in national politics.
Electoral history
See also
- List of Governors of Indiana
- Hendricks Monument
- Hendricks, West VirginiaHendricks, West VirginiaHendricks is a town in Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 319 at the 2000 census. The Blackwater River and the Dry Fork join at Hendricks to form the Black Fork, a principal tributary of the Cheat River.-History:...
, named for him
External links
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