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John S. Barry
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'''John Steward Barry''' (
January 29,
1802 –
January 14,
1870) was elected three times as
List of Governors of Michigan Governor of the
U.S. state of
Michigan. He was Michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century. His most noteworthy accomplishment was bringing the state out of bankruptcy after the
Panic of 1837.
Barry was born in
Amherst, New Hampshire to John and Ellen (Steward) Barry. While he was young, the family moved to
Rockingham, Vermont where he worked on his father's farm and received an education in the local schools. He married Mary Kidder, of
Grafton, Vermont, and in
1824 went to
Georgia, Vermont, where he taught school while studying law. He began to practice law, and while in Georgia he was also a member of the Governor’s staff.
In
1831, he moved to
White Pigeon, Michigan where he became a merchant and was active in politics. In
1834, Barry moved to
Constantine, Michigan and opened a general store in that village's first frame-built building. He became
Justice of the Peace in 1831 while in White Pigeon and continued until
1835. Barry was a prominent participant in the 1835 convention that drafted Michigan's first
constitution.
When Michigan became a state of the Union in
1837, Barry was a State Senator and was recognized as a leader of the state
U.S. Democratic Party Democratic party. He was selected by the party to run for Governor in
1841. He won that election and was reelected in
1843. His administration was popular, but he was limited by the constitution to two consecutive terms.
During Barry's first term, the
University of Michigan first opened for students in
1841 in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor after moving there from
Detroit. The
Michigan Central Railroad Michigan Central and
Michigan Southern Railroads greatly expanded. In
1845, at the end of his second term, the population of the state was more than 300,000.
After a hiatus, the popular Barry was again elected Governor in
1849, serving from
1850 to
1852. He was defeated in
1853 and again ran unsuccessfully in
1859. He also ran unsuccessfully to be a
U.S. Representative in
1856.
During Barry’s third term the Normal School (now
Eastern Michigan University) was established in
Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti. A new state constitution was adopted in
1850.
Throughout his career, he was a supporter of the
Wilmot Proviso, intended to stop the spread of slavery, but he remained a member of the Democratic Party, becoming sympathetic with the "ultra" wing during the
American Civil War Civil War. He was a delegate to the
Democratic National Conventions of
1856 and
1864.
Gov. Barry became deeply interested in the cultivation of the
sugar beet in 1840 and visited Europe to obtain information in reference to its culture.
Barry's home in Constantine is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
External links
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Biographical Portrait from ''1892 Portrait & Biographical Album of Genesee, Lapeer & Tuscola Counties'', Chapman Bros.
{{start box}}
{{succession box |
before=
J. Wright Gordon |
title=
Governor of Michigan |
years=
1842–
1846 |
after=
Alpheus Felch}}
{{succession box |
before=
Epaphroditus Ransom |
title=
Governor of Michigan |
years=
1850–
1852 |
after=
Robert McClelland (American politician) Robert McClelland}}
{{end box}}
{{MIGovernors}}
Category:1802 births Barry, John S.
Category:1870 deaths Barry, John S.
Category:Governors of Michigan Barry, John S.
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