Dennis Pennington - Political Career

Political Career

In the late 1790s Pennington met Governor Saint Clair and Thomas Worthington. His contact with these men and their success with the anti-slavery movement in Ohio influenced Pennington decided to enter the anti-slavery movement in the Indiana Territory. He first met the pro-slavery governor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, on a trip to Vincennes in 1801. Initially Pennington supported Harrison's policies, but over time he was slowly roused to opposition. Pennington's first fray in the political world was his support for squatter's rights, much to the chagrin of George Rogers Clark, who was still a major landholder at the time in 1807.

On December 28, 1802, Harrison attempted to have the anti-slavery clause of the Northwest Territory's charter dropped. Then in 1803 he introduced measures to allow indenturing within the territory, and finally in 1807 Harrison was nearly able to have slavery outright legalized by the appointed territorial legislature It was then that Pennington entered politic in open opposition of Harrison and the pro-slavery government. Pennington went further in his speech at the Springville meeting and outright condemned slavery and the government that had legalized it. At the same meeting in Springfield the attendees drafted and adopted a resolution that condemned slavery in the territory and resolved to put an end to the "despised institution".

In 1809 Congress reorganized the government of the Indiana Territory by making the legislature bicameral. They created a lower house in the legislature to be filled by popular election. The lower house was then to nominate a pool of men from whom the Governor could appoint to the upper house. This led to a major reduction in the governor's power. Pennington was elected as the representative of Harrison County in the first election. Many of his anti-slavery cohorts were also elected in the first election giving them an overwhelming majority. Pennington quickly took the lead in the legislature and became speaker. He introduced and helped pass laws to repeal the slavery and indenturing laws implemented by Harrison.

In 1809 Pennington was awarded the contract from the Territorial Legislature to build a courthouse for Harrison County. The building later became Indiana's first State Capitol. Construction cost about $1,500. After the territory was reorganized, and the outbreak of the War of 1812 Pennington wrote the resolution to relocate the capital.

Resolved: That the capitol be removed from Vincennes, because it is dangerous to continue longer here on account of threatened depredations of the Indians, who may destroy our valuable records."

Corydon was eventually selected, Pennington's hometown. By 1810 Pennington was the defacto leader of the territorial legislature. In 1813 Thomas Posey succeeded Harrison, who was heading the invasion of Canada, as governor. Posey succeeded Harrison as the head of the pro-slavery party. Pennington's constant attack against the pro-slavery party never ended and according to some sources it was his unrelenting political assault that drove Posey from the capital. Posey claimed it was poor health and that he needed to be nearer to his physician.

In 1815 Pennington was the territory's census enumerator. He used the position to carry his anti-slavery platform to every home in the territory. This laid the groundwork for the movement to prevent any chance of slavery entering the state's constitution that would be drawn up in the following year. Pennington is quoted as saying, "Let us be on our guard when our convention men are chosen that they be men opposed to slavery."