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 and was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 1880 election.

English retired from the House in 1861 but stayed involved in party affairs. During the American Civil War, he supported the Union war effort as a War Democrat. In addition to politics, he was an author and businessman. He owned an opera house, was president of a bank, and developed many residential properties. He became one of the wealthiest men in Indiana.

After nearly two decades in the private sector, English returned to political life as the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1880. He and his running mate, Winfield Scott Hancock, lost narrowly to the Republican opponents, 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 became active in local politics as a Democrat and also built 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 just eighteen years old, he was allowed to join the bar and started his own law practice in his hometown of Scott County. He also began his political career that same year, 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 within 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 began his career working in the federal Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.. During this time, he met and married Emma Mardulia Jackson, and they had two children named William Eastin and Rosalind.

English was active in politics, attending the 1848 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore. He later returned to Indiana, where he became involved in state government and 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. During his time 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. During this time, a big debate about slavery grew with the Kansas–Nebraska Act, suggested by Illinois Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. This act wanted to let people in the Kansas and Nebraska territories decide if they wanted slavery, which went against an earlier agreement called the Missouri Compromise from 1820. Even though William Hayden English thought the bill wasn’t needed and came at the wrong time, he ended up voting for it. He believed that people living in those territories should make their own choices.

The Kansas–Nebraska Act was very unpopular in many northern states. It helped end the old Whig Party, weakened some Democrats in the North, 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 when the vote happened, Kansas voters rejected the idea of being a slave state by a big margin. 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 and helped start the First National Bank of Indianapolis in 1863. He led the bank for many years, even during tough times. He also had other business interests, like helping start the Indianapolis Street Railway Company.

English also built many homes and, in 1880, built a grand theater called English's Opera House. It became one of the finest theaters in the city and could hold 2,000 people. He later added a hotel to the theater, and 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. But 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. Sadly, the election did not go well for Hancock and English. They lost by a very small number of votes in the popular count, and the election results were decided by the states' votes.

Post-election career

After the election, English went back to his business work. He also grew interested in local history and joined a meeting of people who remembered the 1850 state constitutional convention. This meeting happened at his opera house in 1885.

English became the leader of the Indiana Historical Society. He wrote two books that came out after he passed away: 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 passed away at his home in Indianapolis on February 7, 1896. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery alongside his wife, who had passed away earlier in 1877. Even though many buildings he helped create are no longer standing, the town of English, Indiana and a street named English Avenue in Indianapolis remember him. You can see statues that look just 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.