Martin D. Hardin (June 21, 1780October 8, 1823) was a politician and lawyer from Kentucky. Born in Pennsylvania, his family immigrated to Kentucky when he was still young. He studied law under George Nicholas and commenced practice at

Richmond, Kentucky Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...

. His cousin, future

U.S. Representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Benjamin Hardin, studied in his law office. He represented Madison County in the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

for a single term. Hardin later moved to Frankfort and was elected to the Kentucky House to represent Franklin County. Governor Isaac Shelby appointed him Secretary of State soon after his election. Concurrent with his service, he participated in the War of 1812, serving alongside future Kentucky Governor

George Madison George Madison (June 1763 – October 14, 1816) was the sixth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first governor of Kentucky to die in office, serving only a few weeks in 1816. Little is known of Madison's early life. He was a member of the influ ...

majors Jonathan Michael Majors (born September 7, 1989)Majors in is an American actor. He rose to prominence after starring in the independent feature film ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019). In 2020, he garnered wider notice for portraying ...

in Colonel John Allen's militia unit. Following the expiration of his term as Secretary of State, Governor Gabriel Slaughter appointed Hardin to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by

William T. Barry William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an American slave owner, statesman and jurist. He served as Postmaster General for most of the administration of President Andrew Jackson and was the only Cabinet member not to resi ...

, who resigned. Hardin served the remainder of Barry's term – approximately one year – and did not seek re-election. In 1819, he was elected to the Kentucky House for a third time and was chosen

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. He died October 8, 1823. Hardin married the daughter of Kentucky pioneer Benjamin Logan, and their son,

John J. Hardin John Jay Hardin (January 6, 1810 – February 23, 1847) was a U.S. Representative and militia general from Illinois. Biography Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, the son of Martin D. Hardin, Hardin pursued classical studies and graduated from Trans ...

, represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives before being killed at the Battle of Buena Vista. In his book ''Life of Lincoln'', Ward Hill Lamon speculated that future President Abraham Lincoln may have been the illegitimate child of Hardin and

Nancy Hanks Nancy Hanks Lincoln (February 5, 1784 – October 5, 1818) was the mother of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Her marriage to Thomas Lincoln also produced a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Thomas Jr. When Nancy and Thomas had been married for j ...

, but the rumor was later debunked.

Early life and family

Hardin was born June 21, 1780, along the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania."Hardin, Martin D.". ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' He was the eldest son of Colonel John and Jane (Davies) Hardin.Little, p. 23 Named for his grandfather, he adopted the middle initial "D." to distinguish between them."Martin D. Hardin". ''Dictionary of American Biography'' The Hardin family moved to Kentucky in April 1786, settling near the present-day city of

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

in Washington (then Nelson) County.Kleber, p. 403 Hardin matriculated to Transylvania Seminary (now Transylvania University) in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

. Afterward, he

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

with George Nicholas. He was admitted to the bar in 1801 and commenced practice in

. He owned slaves. Among those who read law in his office were his cousin,

Benjamin Hardin; and future Kentucky Governor and Postmaster General

Charles A. Wickliffe Charles Anderson Wickliffe (June 8, 1788 – October 31, 1869) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by P ...

.Little, pp. 22, 204 Although he was not particularly politically ambitious, Hardin was elected to represent Madison County in the

in 1805, serving a single term. He was chosen clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1808.Green, p. 178 In 1810, he published ''Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Court of Appeals of Kentucky'', covering the proceedings of the court between the years of 1805 and 1808. On January 20, 1809, he married Elizabeth Logan, daughter of famed Kentucky pioneer Benjamin Logan.Kleber, p. 404Barton, p. 200 Their eldest son,

, represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives and was killed in the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican–American War. In his work ''Life of Lincoln'', Ward Hill Lamon promoted the notion that Abraham Lincoln was an illegitimate child of

; Hardin was proffered as Lincoln's potential father. In a 1920 essay, William Barton opines that Hardin's paternity was unlikely since both he and Hanks were married at the time, and because Hardin's usual travels – to his law practice in Richmond and to state business in Frankfort – took him in the opposite direction of Nancy Hanks-Lincoln's house. The rumor arose from an inability to locate Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks' marriage license at the courthouse in Hardin County, Kentucky; the license was later found in the courthouse in Washington County, effectively discrediting the rumor.Barton, p. 201

Political career

Politically, Hardin favored the construction of internal improvements at federal expense and adhered to a loose interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. His entry in the 1936 '' Dictionary of American Biography'' notes that, while some of his fellow Kentuckians believed he was a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

, Hardin was actually a national

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 ...

who probably would have associated with the Whig Party had he lived long enough to see its formation. In April 1812, as the War of 1812 became more imminent, Hardin wrote to Isaac Shelby, Kentucky's first governor and a hero of the Revolutionary War, asking him to consent to being a candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial election.Connelley and Coulter, p. 552 Shelby went on to win the election, and Hardin, who had by this time relocated to Frankfort, was elected to represent Franklin County in the Kentucky House. In August 1812, shortly after the election, Shelby appointed Hardin Secretary of State. According to Shelby's executive journal, Hardin resigned on or before February 3, 1813."Secretary of State Martin D. Hardin". Kentucky Secretary of State The next day, Shelby nominated Hardin's assistant, former Governor Christopher Greenup, to replace him. Greenup served only a month, resigning on March 11, 1813, after which Hardin was re-appointed and served for the remainder of Shelby's term. Hardin volunteered for service in the War of 1812. He was one of two

serving under John Allen; future Kentucky Governor

was the other.Green, p. 179 Hardin's unit pursued

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

through northern Ohio and Michigan and participated in the

Battle of the River Raisin The Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre, were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. It was fought between the ...

. On November 13, 1816, Governor Gabriel Slaughter appointed Hardin to the U.S. Senate seat vacated when

resigned. The appointment was only effective until the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

convened later that year. When the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

convened, the senators elected him to serve out the remainder of Barry's term. Hardin did not seek re-election at the expiration of the term. In total, he served from November 13, 1816 to March 3, 1817. In 1818, Hardin returned to the Kentucky House, serving until 1820 and acting as

from 1819 to 1820.

Later life and death

In December 1820, Hardin was a candidate to become president of the Bank of Kentucky, but John Harvie was chosen instead. The following year, he was chosen as a presidential elector, voting for James Monroe. Hardin died in Frankfort in 1823, and was interred on his farm in Franklin County, Kentucky. His remains were later re-interred in the State Cemetery in Frankfort.

References

Bibliography

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External links