Kentucky. Governor (1963-1967 : Breathitt)

John Breathitt, Kentucky's eleventh governor, was elected in 1832. He was the only Jacksonian Democrat elected governor between 1828 and 1850, and was the second Kentucky governor to die in office.

John Breathitt was born September 9, 1786 in New London, Virginia. In 1805 the family moved to Kentucky and settled in Russellville in Logan County. Though his schooling was meager, Breathitt learned enough to become both a teacher and a surveyor. While neither job paid particularly well, Breathitt acquired enough capital to allow him to study law. In 1810 he was admitted to the bar and developed a profitable practice, along with an interest in politics.

Breathitt was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1811 and held the office until 1815. He apparently returned to his law practice until 1828 when he was elected lieutenant governor as a Democrat on a split ticket, thus saddling Governor Thomas Metcalfe with a lieutenant governor from an opposing party.

In 1832, Breathitt defeated the National Republican candidate, Richard A. Buckner, by a little over 1,200 votes. Buckner's running mate, James Turner Morehead, was elected lieutenant governor. There was no state or local issue of significance in the campaign, but one interesting highlight was the abundance of vote fraud. Oldham County cast almost 163 percent of its potential vote two to one in favor of Breathitt.

As governor, Breathitt vigorously opposed South Carolina's nullification ordinance of the tariff acts and condemned the state as leading the way to disunion. Breathitt's leadership in this matter contributed to the growing sense of union within Kentucky which would result in the commonwealth remaining with the union almost thirty years later. A sound state banking system was also created during Breathitt's administration. He was also concerned about the question of internal improvements and strongly supported the rechartering of the Lexington and Ohio Railroad project and provided it with a state loan to complete the line to Louisville, although this was not finished until 1851.

For the last year of his life, Governor Breathitt was ill with tuberculosis. He died in February 1834 and was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery at Russellville. His term was finished by the lieutenant governor, James Turner Morehead.

From the description of Subunit history. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145415754