Governor Salmon P. Chase portrait   Save
Ohio Governors Collection
Description: Portrait of Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873), who was elected governor of Ohio in 1855. He ran against Democratic governor William Medill and former governor Allen Trimble, who identified himself with the Know-Nothing Party. Slavery was the dominant issue of the campaign. As governor, Chase continued to focus on the issue of slavery, but he also supported a number of other ideas that were of interest to many Ohioans of this era. He supported reform of the state militia, improved property rights for women, and changes in public education. . Chase was reelected as governor in 1857, but his second term was much less productive as Democrats gained control of the state legislature. Chase also sought the Republican nomination for the presidency in 1856 and 1860, but he was unsuccessful. The principal reason for these losses was Chase's radical abolitionist views. In the meantime, Republicans regained control of the Ohio legislature in 1859 and chose to send Chase back to the U.S. Senate in 1860. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV105_1_16
Subjects: Ohio--Governors--Portraits; Ohio History--State and Local Government
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)