William Hayden English

William Hayden English (August 27, 1822 – February 7, 1896) was an American politician. He served as a U.S. representative from Indiana from 1853 to 1861. He was also the Democratic Party's choice for Vice President of the United States in the 1880 election.

English left the House in 1861 but kept working with his party. During the American Civil War, he supported the Union as a War Democrat. Besides politics, he was an author and businessman. He owned an opera house, led a bank, and built many homes. He became one of the richest people in Indiana.

After many years working in business, English went back to politics. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1880. He ran with Winfield Scott Hancock, but they lost to the Republican pair, James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.

Family and early career

William Hayden English was born on August 27, 1822, in Lexington, Indiana. His parents, Elisha Gale English and Mahala (Eastin) English, came from Kentucky and had families with English and French Huguenot roots. They moved to southern Indiana in 1818. Elisha was active in local politics as a Democrat and also had a successful business.

William went to local public schools and later attended Hanover College, but he left after three years to study law. In 1840, at eighteen years old, he joined the bar and started his own law office in his hometown of Scott County. That same year, he began his political career by speaking in support of the Democratic candidate, Martin Van Buren.

In 1842, he was guided by Lieutenant Governor Jesse D.. Bright, which helped him grow in the party. The next year, the Indiana House of Representatives chose him to be their clerk. In 1844, he helped campaign for another presidential candidate, James K. Polk.

Politics and marriage

William Hayden English started his career working in the federal Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.. During this time, he met and married Emma Mardulia Jackson. They had two children named William Eastin and Rosalind.

English was active in politics and attended the 1848 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore. He later returned to Indiana, where he became involved in state government. He was elected to the state House of Representatives. In 1852, he was chosen to represent Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives, joining the 33rd Congress in 1853. While in Congress, English worked with others to support democratic ideas and policies.

Congress

Kansas–Nebraska Act

In December 1853, the U.S. House of Representatives met for the 33rd Congress. A big debate about slavery began with the Kansas–Nebraska Act, suggested by Illinois Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. This act wanted to let people in Kansas and Nebraska decide if they wanted slavery. This went against an earlier agreement called the Missouri Compromise from 1820. William Hayden English thought the bill wasn’t needed, but he voted for it. He believed people in those territories should make their own choices.

The Kansas–Nebraska Act was unpopular in many northern states. It helped end the old Whig Party and led to the start of the Republicans. English was one of the few representatives from free states who voted for the act and was still reelected. He was assigned to the Post Office and Post Roads Committee, but he kept working on issues related to Kansas.

English Bill

In December 1857, Kansas tried to join the United States as a slave state using the Lecompton Constitution, but many people there didn’t support it. President James Buchanan wanted Congress to accept Kansas, but the House voted against it. English and another politician, Alexander H. Stephens from Georgia, created a new plan called the English Bill. This bill said Kansas could join as a slave state only if people voted for it in a special vote. It also asked Kansas to give up some land they had requested. The English Bill passed, and Kansas voters rejected the idea of being a slave state. English was still popular in his area and was reelected in 1858.

Main article: English Bill (1858)

Business career

After leaving Congress, William Hayden English moved to Indianapolis. He helped start the First National Bank of Indianapolis in 1863. He led the bank for many years.

He also helped start the Indianapolis Street Railway Company.

English built many homes. In 1880, he built a grand theater called English's Opera House. It became one of the finest theaters in the city. It could hold 2,000 people. He later added a hotel to the theater. Both stayed open until 1948.

Vice-presidential candidate

Further information: 1880 United States presidential election

After leaving the House of Representatives, English stayed involved in politics and helped lead the Indiana Democratic Party. In 1880, he went to the Democratic National Convention in Cincinnati and supported Thomas F. Bayard from Delaware. When Winfield Scott Hancock from Pennsylvania became the choice for president, English was picked to be the vice-presidential candidate. The party hoped his popularity in Indiana would help in the election.

English promised to support honest money and limit spending by the government. He also talked about limiting Chinese immigration. The election did not go well for Hancock and English. They lost by a small number of votes.

Post-election career

After the election, English returned to his business work. He also became interested in local history and joined a group of people who remembered the 1850 state constitutional convention. They met at his opera house in 1885.

English became the leader of the Indiana Historical Society. He wrote two books that were published after he died: Conquest of the Country Northwest of the River Ohio, 1778–1783; and Life of General George Rogers Clark. In 1893, he worked on the Indianapolis Monument Commission and helped plan and support the building of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in that city.

Death and legacy

William Hayden English died at his home in Indianapolis on February 7, 1896. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery with his wife, who had died earlier in 1877. Even though many buildings he helped build are gone, the town of English, Indiana and a street called English Avenue in Indianapolis still remember him. You can see statues that look like him in front of the Scott County Courthouse in Scottsburg, Indiana and at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in English. His son William also served in Congress for a short time. His grandson, William English Walling, helped start the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Many of his personal papers and family documents are kept at the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis for people to study.