Governor
Soon after his return to the United States, Gore reentered state politics, winning election to the Massachusetts Senate. He also resumed his law practice, in which he took on as a student Daniel Webster. A committed Federalist, he ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Massachusetts in 1807 and 1808 against a rising tide of Republicanism in the state, losing both times to moderate Republican James Sullivan. The Federalists gained control of the state legislature in 1708 in a backlash against Republican economic policies, and Gore led the Federalists to victory in 1709 against Sullivan's successor, Levi Lincoln, Sr. (who had taken over as acting governor upon Sullivan's death late in 1708). The principal domestic issue occupying state politics was a banking crisis stimulated by the federal policy of embargoing trade with Great Britain and France, then embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars. Although the crisis caused a number of bank failures in New England, Massachusetts banks largely escaped unscathed.
Foreign policy played a major role in Gore's administration. The legislature passed resolves opposing the federal government's hardline policy against trade and diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom (then embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars), and Gore in early 1810 invited Francis James Jackson, who had been rejected as the UK's ambassador to the US, to visit the state. This pressure may have played a role in President James Madison's decision to renew relations with the UK and accept Jackson's credentials.
The lessening of the war threat, and the choice by the Republicans of the popular Elbridge Gerry as their candidate brought a challenge to Federalist control of Massachusetts in the 1810 elections. The unostentatious Gerry and Republican partisans criticized Gore for his lavish lifestyle, including his palatial Waltham residence and pompous activities he organized as governor, resulting in Gerry's victory in the election. Jackson did visit Boston, but he was greeted not by Gore, but Gerry. Gore ran against Gerry again in 1811, but lost.
Gore was granted an honorary law degree from Harvard in 1809. He served as one of the college's overseers from 1810 to 1815 and as a fellow from 1812 to 1820. Harvard's first library building, a Gothic structure built in 1838 of Quincy granite, was named Gore Hall in his honor. It is now part of the residential Winthrop House.
Read more about this topic: Christopher Gore
Famous quotes containing the word governor:
“Ah, Governor [Murphy, of New Jersey], don’t try to deceive me as to the sentiment of the dear people. I have been hearing from the West and the East, and the South seems to be the only section which approves of me at all, and that comes from merely a generous impulse, for even that section would deny me its votes.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“President Lowell of Harvard appealed to students ‘to prepare themselves for such services as the Governor may call upon them to render.’ Dean Greenough organized an ‘emergency committee,’ and Coach Fisher was reported by the press as having declared, ‘To hell with football if men are needed.’”
—For the State of Massachusetts, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“[John] Brough’s majority is “glorious to behold.” It is worth a big victory in the field. It is decisive as to the disposition of the people to prosecute the war to the end. My regiment and brigade were both unanimous for Brough [the Union party candidate for governor of Ohio].”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)