MSS 296 Wilson Shannon Papers

              C o l l e c t i o n Synopsis
MSS 296
Wilson Shannon Papers
1- 1/ 2 cubic f e e t
Standard i n v e n t o r y
Provenance: The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y a c q u i r e d the Wilson
Shannon Papers from the Ohio Governor's o f f i c e in 1929. P e t e r
Lundskow p r o c e s s e d the c o l l e c t i o n i n March 1985.
Property r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y owns the p r o p e r t y
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
C o p y r i g h t s : C o p y r i g n t s nave not been d e d i c a t e d t o t h e p u b l i c .
C o n s i d e r a t i o n of the requirements of c o p y r i g h t i s t h e r e s p o n s i -
b i l i t y of the a u t h o r and p u b l i s h e r .
Access: This c o l l e c t i o n i s open under t h e r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s
of the Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y . ( A f i r e in 1951 damaged and
d e s t r o y e d many i t e m s . Care in handling t h e f r a g i l e m a t e r i a l i s
r e q u e s t e d . )
C i t a t i o n : Researchers a r e r e q u e s t e d t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name,
c o l l e c t i o n number, and the Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y in a l l f o o t -
note and b i b l i o g r a p h i c r e f e r e n c e s .
Note t o r e s e a r c h e r s : A c a l e n d a r ( R016.091 Oh3c vol. 3 ) t o t h e
Shannon Papers was prepared by the Works P r o j e c t s Administration
H i s t o r i c a l Records Survey. The c a l e n d a r , however, i s incomplete
and recommended only as a supplementary f i n d i n g a i d . Appendix I ,
a c a l e n d a r , f o l l o w s t h e inventory and l i s t s items added t o the
c o l l e c t i o n a f t e r completion of the W . P . A . survey.
Biographical s k e t c h : Wilson Shannon was born in Warren Township,
Belmont County, Ohio, on February 2 4 , 1802, the f i r s t governor
ever t o be born in the s t a t e . He was the youngest of nine c h i l d r e n
of George and Jane Shannon who moved to Ohio from V i r g i n i a in 1800.
Shannon's f a t h e r died of exposure while on a hunting e x p e d i t i o n not
q u i t e a y e a r a f t e r Shannon's b i r t h . With the a i d of two o l d e r
b r o t h e r s , Shannon a t t e n d e d c o l l e g e b u t dropped o u t b e f o r e g r a d u a t i o n
t o study law with a n o t h e r b r o t h e r in Lexington, Ohio. In 1830
Shannon was a d m i t t e d to the bar and two y e a r s l a t e r ran f o r t h e United
S t a t e s Congress l o s i n g by t h i r t y - s e v e n v o t e s . Shannon f i r s t was
e l e c t e d t o p u b l i c o f f i c e in 1832 as Belmont County Prosecutor f o r
which he served two terms.
The Democrats named Shannon as t h e i r g u b e r n a t o r i a l c a n d i d a t e i n
1838 when he d e f e a t e d Whig incumbent Joseph Vance. The p a r t y a l s o
secured both houses of the Ohio l e g i s l a t u r e so Shannon's programs
e a s i l y were enacted i n t o law. The major p i e c e s of l e g i s l a t i o n
included t h e r e g u l a t i o n of Ohio banks, t h e i r notes and c u r r e n c y ;
and a f u g i t i v e s l a v e a c t with s t i f f e r p e n a l t i e s than the f e d e r a l
law.
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