Daniel Dunklin (D)

Overview

At a Glance

• Appointed the first state commission on education (1833)
• Advocated for states' rights
• Favored the sale of public lands at low cost to settlers
• Passed legislation to create the Missouri Penitentiary (1833)

Personal History

Daniel Dunklin was born on January 14, 1790, in Greenville, S.C. Upon his father’s death, Dunklin's older brother moved the family in 1806 to Kentucky, but four years later, Dunklin moved with his mother to a small farm near Potosi in the Missouri Territory.

Dunklin attended public school and sought to become a lawyer. He read the works of Sir William Blackstone, a well-known English legal scholar and judge. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar as a lawyer, but he seldom practiced law.

During the War of 1812, Dunklin joined the volunteer rangers for campaigns in Missouri and Illinois territories. After the war, he served four years as Washington County’s sheriff.

In 1815, Dunklin married his childhood sweetheart, Emily Willis "Pamela" Haley, and they operated a small tavern in Potosi, which became a popular meeting place. Dunklin gained a reputation as a wise man who was well-informed on public issues.

Dunklin’s term as governor ran from 1832 to 1836. After 1838, he devoted most of his time to his business and farming interests. In 1840, he moved to a large farm purchased near Herculaneum, Missouri. After getting caught in a severe storm, he developed pneumonia and died on August 25, 1844. Dunklin was buried in a field near his home in Jefferson County.

Political History

As Dunklin’s interest in politics grew, the voters of Washington County elected him to the state legislature where he distinguished himself by his knowledge of parliamentary law.

Following his stint in the General Assembly, Dunklin focused primarily on his business operations, especially his mining interests. However, the lure of politics drew him into an active role in the party of Andrew Jackson, which became the Democratic Party.

Dunklin was elected lieutenant governor in 1828. At the new party’s state convention in late 1831, participants named Dunklin the party's candidate for governor. Dunklin defeated John Bull by a margin of 50.8% to 45.2%, and the Democratic Party carried the state in 1832.

An ardent advocate of states’ rights, Dunklin feared national encroachment upon state sovereignty. Like other Jacksonian Democrats, he opposed the Bank of the United States, protective tariffs, and nationally sponsored internal improvements. He favored selling public lands to settlers at cheap prices.

Historical Significance

As governor, Dunklin is sometimes called the father of Missouri's public school system. He appointed a three-member education commission to determine the state’s education needs and draw up a plan for public education facilities. The commission presented its report to the governor in 1834, and through his efforts, the legislature approved the group’s recommendations the next year. Establishing a state board of education, setting standards, and establishing a means of funding, this achievement placed Missouri at the vanguard in educating its citizens, outshining even some long-established eastern states. Gov. Dunklin even suggested that tax revenues might be used to fund public schools.

Dunklin did not support South Carolina in its effort to nullify the Tariff of 1832. The Missouri governor stated that he could support nullification in a case of clear usurpation of power by the federal government, but he could not support the right of a state to nullify a federal law it deemed only a misuse of national power.

Like many of his predecessors, Dunklin supported establishing the University of Missouri and selling land to finance its creation.

Three months before his term as governor expired, Dunklin resigned to accept Pres. Jackson's appointment as a surveyor general of Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas.

Dunklin County in southeast Missouri was named in Gov. Dunklin's honor in 1845.