Simon Snyder

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Simon Snyder

Simon Snyder (5 November 1759 - 9 November 1819) was the governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1808 to 1817. A Jeffersonian Democrat, he served three terms as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives before becoming governor. He led the state through the War of 1812 and, following the conclusion of his term, was elected to the United States Senate, although he died in office in 1819. He was the first governor of Pennsylvania to be of German descent, and he was also the only governor to come from Snyder County, which bears his name in recognition of this fact.

1 Early Life
2 Early Political Career
3 Governorship
4 War of 1812
5 Post Governorship
6 Legacy
7 Sources

[edit] Early Life

Snyder was born on 5 November 1759 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Moravian parents, Anthony and Mary Elizabeth (nee Knippenberg) Snyder. In 1784, Snyder moved to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, where he opened a gristmill. His residence still stands at 121 North Market Street. In 1790, Snyder married Elizabeth Michael. They had two children. Unfortunately for the Snyders, Elizabeth died in 1794 and left her husband to raise the children. Snyder did, however, remarry. With his second wife, Catherine Antes, he raised another five children. In total, Snyder fathered seven children.

[edit] Early Political Career

Snyder began his political career as the justice of the peace. Snyder was elected in 1789 to serve as a delegate to help revise Pennsylvania’s state constitution in 1790. Following this, he ran served in the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives from 1797 to 1807. During this time, he also served as the speaker of the House three times: in 1804, in 1805, and in 1807. While he was in the House, Snyder also sought the governorship as a Jeffersonian Democrat in 1805 but was defeated by governor Thomas McKean (McKean was also a Jeffersonian Democrat, but he had was not as well liked as Snyder). Due to his lack of public attention, Snyder lost the election.

[edit] Governorship

In 1808, the Jeffersonians united behind Snyder and he won the election. Snyder ran again in subsequent elections (in 1811 and 1814) and easily won reelection against Federalists William Tilghman and Isaac Wayne, respectively. In 1812, Snyder also suggested relocating the capital city of the commonwealth from Lancaster to its present location in Harrisburg. The General Assembly approved this request.

[edit] War of 1812

Snyder supported the War of 1812 whole-heartedly despite Federalist cries of dissent. With the victory at the end of the war, this criticism subsided. After the war, John Binns supported elevating Snyder to consideration for the vice-presidential slot on President James Madison’s ticket, but later he was disregarded as a possible candidate.

[edit] Post Governorship

Snyder was elected in 1818 to serve in the United States Senate. Unfortunately, he died on 9 November 1819, before he was able to serve. His gravesite is marked by a mounument topped by his bust at Sharon Lutheran Church in Selinsgrove.