Peter F. Causey
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Peter Foster Causey (January 11, 1801 – February 15, 1871) was an American merchant and politician from
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
, in
Kent County, Delaware Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851, making it the least populous county in Delaware. The county seat is Dover, the state capital of Delaware. It i ...
. He was a member of the American Party, who served in the
Delaware General Assembly The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
and as
Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
.


Early life and family

Causey was born in
Bridgeville, Delaware Bridgeville is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,048, an increase of 42.6% from the previous decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...
, son of Peter T. and Tamzey Causey. His family lived in
Easton, Maryland Easton is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,945 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2019 of 16,671. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the secondary ...
for a time, but returned to Delaware in 1815, settling on North Walnut Street in
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
. He married Maria Williams and they had six children, William F., Maria E., Sally Maria, Peter Foster, Jr., John W., and Robert H. In 1850 they bought the old Levin Crapper mansion, former home of Governor Daniel Rogers. It was subsequently known as the ''Causey Mansion.'' The Causey family owned a large flour mill and were successful merchants, taking advantage of the many business opportunities in
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
at the time. They were members of the First Methodist Church in Milford.


Professional and political career

In the shifting political combinations of the time, Causey began his career as a progressive Jacksonian
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
, and was elected to the state house in the 1831 session and the 1832/33 session. As the Democrats lost their progressive agenda, and with the collapse of the Whig Party, most of the energy in opposition to the increasingly conservative Democrats came from the Temperance movement. In 1850 a
Temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
candidate was almost elected, and in 1854 Causey signed on as their candidate under the aegis of the American Party. This was an unusual combination of various causes that in Delaware was headed by prohibition. He was elected
Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
in 1854, defeating William Burton, the Democratic candidate and served from January 16, 1855 until January 18, 1859. Along with Causey several "
Know-Nothings The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...
", as they were known, were elected to the General Assembly. Proceeding with their Prohibition agenda, they passed legislation that went fully into effect by December 1855. By Election Day 1856, the effects of this legislation were detested enough by the voters that they replaced nearly all the "
Know-Nothings The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...
" with Democrats, and leaving Causey two years to govern with a strong Democratic opposition in the General Assembly. Needless to say, the repeal of the prohibition laws was foremost on their agenda. Other than the prohibition matter the most important issue in Delaware at the time was the completion of the
Delaware Railroad The Delaware Railroad was the major railroad in the US state of Delaware, traversing almost the entire state north to south. It was planned in 1836 and built in the 1850s. It began in Porter and was extended south through Dover, Seaford and fin ...
. By September 1855 it was complete to Middletown, and by January 1857 all the way to Delmar. On the other side of the ledger, by 1861
Delaware College The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
was forced to close due to a lack of funds, aggravated by a brutal unsolved murder on the campus. A true reformer, Causey hammered the General Assembly on all the same issues his predecessors had been speaking about for years.
The existing public schools, he said, were dilapidated and the teachers untrained. Public education has been the theme of much debate in our legislative halls for years, he remarked, and yet each succeeding session has ended in little or no alteration for the better. The tiny school districts run by committees elected by the residents most hostile to taxation simply were not working. Furthermore, the insane, more than any other portion of our community, were dependent upon our care and protection., p. 96; quotation from the ''Journal of the House of Representatives (1859), p. 9-22


Death and legacy

Causey died at
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
and is buried there at the Christ Episcopal Churchyard. One of the properties he owned at Milford, the Mill House, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1983.


Almanac

Elections were held the first Tuesday in October until 1831, and since they have been held on the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the
Delaware General Assembly The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
took office in the first Tuesday of January. State representatives have a term of two years. The governor takes office the third Tuesday in January, and has a four-year term.


References


Bibliography

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External links


Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
{{DEFAULTSORT:Causey, Peter F. Businesspeople from Delaware Delaware Democrats Members of the Delaware House of Representatives Governors of Delaware Delaware Jacksonians Delaware Know Nothings 1801 births 1871 deaths Methodists from Delaware People from Bridgeville, Delaware People from Milford, Delaware Burials in Kent County, Delaware Know-Nothing state governors of the United States 19th-century American politicians Delaware Independents