William Christian Bouck (January 7, 1786 – April 19, 1859) was an American politician from New York. He was the 13th Governor of New York from 1843 to 1844. A native of Fultonham, New York, Bouck was educated in the local schools while working on his family's farm and became a farmer himself. Originally a member of 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 earl ...

, and later a

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 ...

, he began a government and politics career with election as town clerk of

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

(1807-1808), town supervisor (1808-1809), and sheriff of

Schoharie County Schoharie County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county ...

(1812-1813). Bouck served in the militia from 1809 to 1822 and rose through the ranks to become commander of New York's 18th Regiment with 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 o ...

. As Bouck's career progressed, he served in the New York State Assembly (1814-1816, 1817-1818), and New York State Senate (1821-1822). from 1821 to 1840, Bouck served on the

Erie Canal Commission The Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie and Report, known as the Erie Canal Commission, was a body created by the New York State Legislature in 1810 to plan the Erie Canal. In 1817 a ''Canal Fund'' led by ''Commissioners of the C ...

, and during his long tenure, he oversaw construction of the western portion of the canal and several branch canals. In 1842, Bouck was elected governor, and he served from 1843 to 1844. His term was largely occupied with responding to the

Anti-Rent War The Anti-Rent War (also known as the Helderberg War) was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York in the period 1839–1845. The Anti-Renters declared their independence from the manor system run by patroons, resisting tax collectors and successfu ...

, and he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1844. After leaving office, Bouck served on the state Board of Regents (1845 to 1847) and from 1846 to 1849 was Assistant Treasurer of the United States at the New York City sub-treasury. Bouck died in Fulton, New York on April 19, 1859. He was buried at Middleburgh Cemetery in

Middleburgh, New York Middleburgh is a town in Schoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 3,515 at the 2000 census. The Town of Middleburgh contains a village called Middleburgh. The town is on the county's eastern border and is west of Albany. ...

Early life

Bouck was born in Fultonham, New York on January 7, 1786, a son of Christian Bouck (1753–1836) and Margaret (Borst) Bouck (1762–1806). His siblings included

Joseph Bouck Joseph Bouck (July 22, 1788 – March 30, 1858) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from New York serving one term from 1831 to 1833. Biography Born on Bouck's Island, near Fultonham, New York, Bouck attended the rural school ...

, who served as a member of 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. He was raised on his father's farm and educated in the local schools of Schoharie County. Bouck became a farmer and began a long career in government and public service in 1807, when he was elected as

's town clerk. From 1808 to 1809, Bouck was Fulton's town supervisor. He served as Sheriff of

from 1812 to 1813.

Military service

In 1809 Bouck was appointed adjutant of the

New York Militia The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Th ...

's 18th Regiment, a post he held until he was appointed sheriff. Bouck continued his service in the militia; he was appointed quartermaster of the 28th Brigade in 1815. In 1817, he was promoted to major in the 113th Regiment. Later in 1817, Bouck was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the 28th Brigade. From 1819 to 1822, Bouck commanded the 18th Regiment with the rank of

Continued career

As a member of the

, Bouck served in the New York State Assembly from 1813 to 1816 and again from 1817 to 1818. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1821 to 1822. From 1821 to 1840, he was a member of the

, first selected to fill a newly-created seat. When the Federalist Party became dormant and the Democratic-Republican followers of

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 ...

began calling themselves Democrats, Bouck became a leader of the

Albany Regency The Albany Regency was a group of politicians who controlled the New York state government between 1822 and 1838. Originally called the "Holy Alliance", it was instituted by Martin Van Buren, who remained its dominating spirit for many years. The ...

, the clique led by

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...

which dominated New York state's Democratic Party.

Erie Canal Commissioner

While serving as a canal commissioner, Bouck developed a strong reputation for both competence and integrity. During the nineteen years he served on the commission, he oversaw construction of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

west of the

Genesee River The Genesee River is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York in the United States. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides h ...

. In addition, he supervised design and building of several branch canals connected to the Erie, including the Cayuga, Seneca, Crooked Lake, Chemung and Chenango Canals. The canal projects overseen by Bouck required the expenditure of more than $8 million in state funds (more than $243 million in 2019), all of which he was able to account for during audits of his work. During his service as a canal commissioner, Bouck frequently carried large sums of cash from Albany in order to pay construction crews in western New York. Both well-known and highly visible as he traveled alone on his favorite mount, he earned the nickname "White Horse Bouck", and was held in such great esteem that he was never accosted or robbed. When the Whig Party came to power in New York in 1840, Bouck was so strongly identified with the Erie Canal that he could have obtained reappointment to the commission despite his party affiliation if he had desired it.

Governor of New York

During the New York Democratic Party's factional dispute between the

Barnburners and Hunkers The Barnburners and Hunkers were the names of two opposing factions of the New York Democratic Party in the mid-19th century. The main issue dividing the two factions was that of slavery, with the Barnburners being the anti-slavery faction. Whi ...

, Bouck was identified with the conservative Hunker faction, causing him to fall out with President

, who was the leader of the Barnburners. In November 1840, Bouck was the Democratic nominee for

governor 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 ...

and Daniel S. Dickinson the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and they were defeated by the Whig incumbents,

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

and

Luther Bradish Luther Bradish (September 15, 1783 in Cummington, Massachusetts – August 30, 1863 in Newport, Rhode Island) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1839 to 1842, while his Whig Party co ...

. In November 1842, Bouck and Dickinson ran again. They won the November general election by defeating Whig candidates Bradish for governor and Gabriel Furman for lieutenant governor. Bouck's term was occupied primarily with the state's response to the

. Tenants who held perpetual leases under the

patroon In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch '' patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms ...

system first implemented when New York was a Dutch colony objected to the "quarter sale" provision of their leases. Under this provision if a tenant sold his lease, he had to pay his patroon one quarter of the sale price or one additional year's rent. In addition, while the wealthiest patroon, Stephen Van Rensselaer, had generally proved a benevolent landlord usually willing to accept partial or late payments rather than evict tenants who fell behind on their rent, after his death in 1839 his heirs attempted to collect long-overdue payments. When the tenants could not pay and could not negotiate for favorable repayment terms, they were threatened with eviction and a revolt ensued. Bouck was sympathetic to the tenants, but as part of the effort to restore order during a violent demonstration, near the end of his term he sent units of the

state militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

to Hudson, which was viewed unfavorably by the tenants and their supporters. In 1844, the Democratic Party desired to nominate a candidate who would consistently enforce the law against the rioters. Rather than renominate Bouck, they nominated

Silas Wright Silas Wright Jr. (May 24, 1795 – August 27, 1847) was an American attorney and Democratic politician. A member of the Albany Regency, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, New York State Comptroller, United Stat ...

, who won the general election. During his term, Wright also used the militia to restore order, and in 1846 he was defeated for a second term by Whig nominee

John Young John Young may refer to: Academics * John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow * John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Col ...

, who had taken the side of the tenants.

Later career

After completing his term as governor, Bouck served as a delegate to the 1846 state constitutional convention. He served as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York from 1845 to 1847. From 1846 to 1849 he served as Assistant United States Treasurer in New York City.

Death and burial

In retirement, Bouck was a resident of Bouck's Island, his family's Boucks Island farm on the Schoharie Creek in Fulton. He died at his Bouck's Island home on April 19, 1859 and was buried at Middleburgh Cemetery in Middleburgh.

Family

In 1807, Bouck married Catherine Lawyer (1787–1865). They were the parents of 13 children, including: *James Madison (1808-1865) *Joseph William (1809-1886) *Margaret (1811-1837) *Ann (1813-1890), the wife of Lyman Sanford *Christina (1818-1836) *Christian (1818-1909) *Catherine (1820-1899), the wife of Erskine Danforth *Caroline (1822-1913), the wife of Dr. Volney Danforth *Elizabeth (1825-1826) *Phillip (1822-1895) *

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...

(1828-1904) *Charles (1829-1910) *Nelson Gabriel Bouck commanded the

18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army in the western theater of the American Civil War. A large portion of the regiment was captured in their first battle, at Shiloh, but they went ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He later served as Speaker of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

Attorney General of Wisconsin The Attorney General of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, ...

and a member of the U.S. House from

Wisconsin's 6th congressional district Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in eastern Wisconsin. It is based in the rural, suburban and exurban communities between Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. It also ...

Legacy

The hamlet of Bouckville in the town of

Madison, New York Madison is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 3,008 at the 2010 census. The Town of Madison contains a village also named Madison. The town is near the eastern border of the county. History Settlement be ...

is named for Bouck. Bouck Hall, the student activities building at the

State University of New York at Cobleskill The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) is a public college in Cobleskill, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It began as the Schoharie State Sc ...

is also named after him. Bouck's Island, the Bouck family farm and home, is a New York State Historic Site.

References

Sources

Magazines

* * *

Books

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Newspapers

* * * * *

External links

William C. Bouck
at National Governors Association
William C. Bouck
at New York State Hall of Governors *

at The Political Graveyard

Additional reading

''William C. Bouck: New York's Farmer Governor''
by Edward A. Hagan, Mark Sullivan and Lester Hendrix (Heritage Books, 2007, , )
''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 31, 42, 124, 138, 188, 190, 194, 260 and 407; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouck, William Christian 1786 births 1859 deaths American militia officers Town supervisors in New York (state) Democratic Party governors of New York (state) Erie Canal Commissioners People from Fulton, Schoharie County, New York Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Democratic Party New York (state) state senators New York (state) Democratic-Republicans 19th-century American politicians Burials in New York (state) New York (state) sheriffs