Ratliff Boon (January 18, 1781 – November 20, 1844) was the
second Governor of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
from September 12 to December 5, 1822, taking office following the resignation of Governor
Jonathan Jennings
Jonathan Jennings (March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834) was the first governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in either Hunterdon County, New Jersey, or Rockbridge County, Virginia, he studied law before migrating to the ...
' after his election to Congress. A prominent politician in the state, Boon was instrumental the formation of the state
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, and he supported President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
's policies during his six terms representing Indiana in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.
Early life
Background and education
Ratliff Boon was born January 18, 1781, in
Franklin County, North Carolina
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,573. Its county seat is Louisburg.
Franklin County is included in the Raleigh, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
, the son of Jesse and Kessiah Boon. At a young age he moved with his parents to
Warren County, Kentucky
Warren County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,554, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Bowling Green. Warren Coun ...
, where he attended a public grade school and later apprenticed as a
gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very h ...
in
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...
.
[Woollen, p. 42] In 1801 he was married to Delilah Anderson, together the couple had seven children. In 1809 he moved to what is now
Boon Township of
Warrick County, Indiana
Warrick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 63,898. The county seat is Boonville. It was organized in 1813 and was named for Captain Jacob Warrick, an Indiana militia company commander killed ...
.
Boonville, the county seat, was later named in his honor. At the outbreak of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, Boon joined the
Indiana Territorial militia and eventually rose to the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
.
Public office
Legislator
Warrick County was organized in 1813 and Boon was appointed by Governor
Thomas Posey
Thomas Posey (July 9, 1750March 19, 1818) was an officer in the American Revolution, a general during peacetime, the third Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and a Louisiana Senator.
Early life
Family and back ...
to the position of County Treasurer. In 1816 he was elected to the first
state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
where he served two one-year terms. During his terms, his primary accomplishment was successfully promoting legislation to divide Warrick County into three separate counties. He was elected to the
state senate
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
in December 1818 but resigned after winning the election to become the
second Lieutenant Governor in December 1819.
[Gugin, p. 49]
Christopher Harrison
Christopher Harrison (1780–1868) was the first Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, serving with Governor Jonathan Jennings. Harrison was briefly acting governor while Jennings' was conducting negotiation with the native tribes in northern I ...
had resigned his position as lieutenant governor after a scandal, leaving no incumbent. Two other men briefly competed against Boon for the position, but he defeated them in the general election, 7,397 votes to his closest competitors 3,882. In 1820 the legislature passed laws to lower the wolf population. Wolves had been creating havoc on the frontier. They offered a premium reward for wolf pelts, Boon capitalized on the new law and earned more than seven-hundred dollars by killing wolves. His success led to the rapid repeal of the law which quickly became a drain on the state's limited resources.
Governor
In 1822 he was re-elected as lieutenant governor on a ticket with
William Hendricks. When Governor
Jonathan Jennings
Jonathan Jennings (March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834) was the first governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in either Hunterdon County, New Jersey, or Rockbridge County, Virginia, he studied law before migrating to the ...
resigned to take a seat in Congress, Boon succeeded him and became the second governor of the state on September 12, 1822 and served until Hendricks's inauguration on December 5, 1822.
[ Boon's only act of consequence during his short time as governor was to conduct a census of the area purchased by the ]Treaty of St. Mary's
The Treaty of St. Mary's may refer to one of six treaties concluded in fall of 1818 between the United States and Natives of central Indiana regarding purchase of Native land. The treaties were
*Treaty with the Wyandot, etc.
*Treaty with the Wy ...
and make recommendations for the creation of counties in the region. His proposal was adopted by the General Assembly, which organized county governments and created three seats in the assembly to provide representation to the subjects of the census. Boon returned to the lieutenant governor's office and remained in that position until January 30, 1824, when he resigned after winning the election to the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.[Woollen, p. 43][Gugin, p. 50]
Congressman
Boon was elected as a Jacksonian and served in Congress from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1827. He was unsuccessful in his re-election attempt in 1826, defeated by Thomas H. Blake
Thomas Holdsworth Blake (June 14, 1792 – November 28, 1849) was an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Indiana from 1827 to 1829.
Born in Calvert County, Maryland, Blake attended the public schools, and studi ...
who ran on an internal improvement platform which Boon's party was opposed to. During the term he sat out of office, he was instrumental in establishing the Democratic Party in Indiana. Up until that time, there were no formal political parties in the state, and all politicians loosely affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...
. He ran again for the office in 1828, and won. He served in Congress again from March 4, 1829 to March 3, 1839. While in congress he was chairman of the Committee on Public Lands from 1835 until 1839. He made an unsuccessful run for re-election in 1839, and was defeated by Oliver H. Smith
Oliver Hampton Smith (October 23, 1794March 19, 1859) was a United States representative and Senator from Indiana. Born on Smith's Island, near Trenton, New Jersey, (is also believed to have been born at the Smith Family Farmstead in Upper Make ...
.[
The same year of his defeat, Boon moved to Louisiana, Missouri. In Missouri he quickly rose in prominence and became a fierce opponent of Thomas H. Benton and the pro-slavery faction of the state government. In 1844 he ran for Congress again, hoping to defeat the pro-slavery candidate, but he became ill and withdrew from the race. Boon remained sick and died shortly after hearing of his party's victory in the election. He died there on November 20, 1844. He is interred in Riverview Cemetery of Louisiana, his son, Baily Hart Boon, later erected a monument over his grave.][Woollen, p. 47]
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Biography from Indiana State Library
Ratliff Boon at FindAGrave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boon, Ratliff
1781 births
1844 deaths
Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States
Democratic Party governors of Indiana
Democratic Party Indiana state senators
Lieutenant Governors of Indiana
Indiana Democratic-Republicans
People from Louisiana, Missouri
Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives
People from Warrick County, Indiana
People from Indiana in the War of 1812
People from Franklin County, North Carolina
Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana
19th-century American politicians