Odd Wisconsin Archive
Tippecanoe and Tallmadge too?
Nathaniel Tallmadge (1795-1864), Wisconsin's third chief executive, just missed being the tenth president of the United States.
Born in Chatham, N.Y., he was admitted to the bar in 1818 and served in the New York legislature before going on to two terms in the U.S. Senate (Mar. 1833-June 1844).
In 1840 Tallmadge was offered the nomination for vice-president, as running mate of Gen. William Henry Harrison. When he declined the offer, John Tyler accepted it. Nearly 30 years earlier, Harrison had led U.S. forces in the Battle of Tippecanoe, a clash between settlers in Indiana Territory and the confederacy led by Shawnee chief Tecumseh. In the election of 1840, he leveraged his fame with the campaign slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too."
Harrison was elected, but died less than a month after his inauguration and John Tyler was elevated to the office of president. Had Tallmadge chosen differently, he would have been U.S. president following Harrison's death.
Instead, in June 1844, Tallmadge accepted an appointment from Tyler as governor of Wisconsin Territory. During his brief tenure, Gov. Tallmadge urged railroad development, opposed a 21-year naturalization period, and recommended the founding of agricultural societies and schools.
With the change of national administration in 1845, he retired to Fond du Lac for several years, where he had extensive land holdings. In addition to being a politician, Tallmadge was a medium who claimed to have many encounters with ghosts. Those exploits are described here, in an earlier Odd Wisconsin piece.
:: Posted in Odd Lives on September 17, 2009
Did You Know?
The Wisconsin Historical Museum is currently featuring Odd Wisconsin objects in the latest exhibit: Odd Wisconsin. And don't miss the Odd Wisconsin book by author Erika Janik published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
|
