George Tyler Wood
Encyclopedia
George Tyler Wood was an American
military officer and politician
who served as the second Governor of Texas.
on March 12, 1795. His mother was Elizabeth Burris Wood. His father, name unknown, died when he was five. When he was nineteen, Wood raised a company
of volunteers for the Creek War
and fought in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. According to tradition, Wood met Sam Houston
and Edward Burleson
during the campaign.
Wood operated a successful dry goods
business based in Cuthbert. During a buying trip in 1837 he met a young widow named Martha Gindrat during a stop in Milledgeville, Georgia
. The two married on September 18, 1837. The marriage produced two children in addition to the three Martha brought from her previous marriage. Beyond his business interests, Wood was a member of the Georgia General Assembly
from 1837–8.
. After exploring the Brazos
, Colorado
and Trinity
rivers, he selected a site near the present-day town of Point Blank
in Liberty County
(now in San Jacinto County). At this site he quickly built a prosperous plantation.
Wood was elected to the Congress of the Republic of Texas
in 1841, representing Liberty County in the House of Representatives. In 1845, during the annexation of Texas by the United States
, he represented his home county during the convention which wrote the state constitution
Wood was elected to the Texas Senate
following Texas's admission to the United States. When the Mexican-American War began he resigned his senate seat and became Colonel
of the Second Regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers. During his service he was present for the capture of Monterrey
.
to not seek another term left a wide open race for his replacement. A race dominated by five candidates
developed with the key issue being how to deal with the public debt. About a month before the election one of the candidates, Isaac Van Zandt
, died of yellow fever
. Most of Van Zandt's support shifted to Wood. As a result he won the election with 7,154 votes compared to second place finisher James B. Miller with 5,106.
When the governor took office, Texas had US$5,500,00 in outstanding bonds
with no obvious means to repay the debt. To deal with the public debt, he advocated a plan to sell state land to the U.S. Federal government. The Texas Legislature
did not support this plan and, after negotiations with Wood, passed a bill calling for the state Accountant
and comptroller
to determine the exact amount of debt before a method of payment was determined.
The Wood administration also saw an intensification of a dispute over the status of New Mexico
. Texas considered New Mexico part of its territory but the claim was not recognized by the Federal government. To strengthen its claim, the Texas Legislature created Santa Fe County and the eleventh judicial district. When the judge appointed to preside over the new district arrived in Santa Fe
, he found federal troops
already in the city who were determined to support the federal position.
Other issues dealt with by Wood were the organization of towns and counties, establishing court buildings, and reforming government operations. To defend the state's western frontier, a request was sent to Congress
asking for a string of forts to be constructed. reapportionment
of the state was the most contested issue to arise during Wood's term. The coastal and central sections of the state, fearing loss of representation, opposed the proposal while the northeastern section supported the effort. Despite the opposition, a reapportionment bill was passed by the legislature.
On February 21, 1848, Wood presided over the Texas Democratic convention, the first true political convention
to be held in the state. This was followed by an 1849 effort
to win a second term. The primary challenger to the governor was Peter H. Bell who ran on the issues of frontier defense and the New Mexico dispute. Wood strongly defended the positions he had taken but was defeated by a margin of 10,319 votes to 8,754.
. Woud made unsuccessful runs to be elected Governor in 1853 and 1855. He died at his home on September 3, 1858.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military officer and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the second Governor of Texas.
Background
Most records dealing with Wood's personal life have been lost due to fire or other causes. As a result many details about his life are unknown. Wood was born near Cuthbert, GeorgiaCuthbert, Georgia
Cuthbert is a city in, and the county seat of, Randolph County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cuthbert is located at 31º46'15" North, 84º47'37" West ....
on March 12, 1795. His mother was Elizabeth Burris Wood. His father, name unknown, died when he was five. When he was nineteen, Wood raised a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of volunteers for the Creek War
Creek War
The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
and fought in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. According to tradition, Wood met Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
and Edward Burleson
Edward Burleson
Edward Burleson was a soldier, general, and statesman in the state of Missouri, the Republic of Texas, and later the U.S. state of Texas....
during the campaign.
Wood operated a successful dry goods
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
business based in Cuthbert. During a buying trip in 1837 he met a young widow named Martha Gindrat during a stop in Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
. The two married on September 18, 1837. The marriage produced two children in addition to the three Martha brought from her previous marriage. Beyond his business interests, Wood was a member of the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
from 1837–8.
Texas
In 1839, Wood and his family moved to the Republic of TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. After exploring the Brazos
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
, Colorado
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
and Trinity
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
rivers, he selected a site near the present-day town of Point Blank
Point Blank, Texas
Point Blank is a city in San Jacinto County, Texas, United States. The population was 559 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Point Blank is located at along the banks of Lake Livingston....
in Liberty County
Liberty County, Texas
Liberty County is a county located in Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,643. Its county seat is Liberty.-Geography:According to the U.S...
(now in San Jacinto County). At this site he quickly built a prosperous plantation.
Wood was elected to the Congress of the Republic of Texas
Congress of the Republic of Texas
The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the national legislature of the Republic of Texas established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836. It was a bicameral legislature based on the model of the United States Congress...
in 1841, representing Liberty County in the House of Representatives. In 1845, during the annexation of Texas by the United States
Texas Annexation
In 1845, United States of America annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. The U.S. thus inherited Texas's border dispute with Mexico; this quickly led to the Mexican-American War, during which the U.S. captured additional territory , extending the nation's...
, he represented his home county during the convention which wrote the state constitution
Texas Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Texas.Texas has had seven constitutions: the constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, the 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, the state constitutions of 1845,...
Wood was elected to the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
following Texas's admission to the United States. When the Mexican-American War began he resigned his senate seat and became Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the Second Regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers. During his service he was present for the capture of Monterrey
Battle of Monterrey
In the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North was defeated by U.S...
.
Governorship
The 1847 decision of Governor James Pinckney HendersonJames Pinckney Henderson
James Pinckney Henderson was a United States and Republic of Texas lawyer, politician, soldier, and the first Governor of the State of Texas....
to not seek another term left a wide open race for his replacement. A race dominated by five candidates
Texas gubernatorial election, 1847
The 1847 Texas gubernatorial election was held in November 1847 to select the governor of the state of Texas. George Tyler Wood won the election.-Gubernatorial election results:...
developed with the key issue being how to deal with the public debt. About a month before the election one of the candidates, Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor....
, died of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. Most of Van Zandt's support shifted to Wood. As a result he won the election with 7,154 votes compared to second place finisher James B. Miller with 5,106.
When the governor took office, Texas had US$5,500,00 in outstanding bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
with no obvious means to repay the debt. To deal with the public debt, he advocated a plan to sell state land to the U.S. Federal government. The Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
did not support this plan and, after negotiations with Wood, passed a bill calling for the state Accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and comptroller
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is an executive branch position created by the Texas Constitution. As with nearly every other executive branch head, the Comptroller is popularly elected every four years concurrently with the Governor and the other elected executive branch positions...
to determine the exact amount of debt before a method of payment was determined.
The Wood administration also saw an intensification of a dispute over the status of New Mexico
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
. Texas considered New Mexico part of its territory but the claim was not recognized by the Federal government. To strengthen its claim, the Texas Legislature created Santa Fe County and the eleventh judicial district. When the judge appointed to preside over the new district arrived in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, he found federal troops
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
already in the city who were determined to support the federal position.
Other issues dealt with by Wood were the organization of towns and counties, establishing court buildings, and reforming government operations. To defend the state's western frontier, a request was sent to Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
asking for a string of forts to be constructed. reapportionment
Apportionment (politics)
Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles . In most representative governments, political power has most recently been apportioned among constituencies based on population, but there is a long history of different approaches.The United States Constitution,...
of the state was the most contested issue to arise during Wood's term. The coastal and central sections of the state, fearing loss of representation, opposed the proposal while the northeastern section supported the effort. Despite the opposition, a reapportionment bill was passed by the legislature.
On February 21, 1848, Wood presided over the Texas Democratic convention, the first true political convention
Political convention
In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
to be held in the state. This was followed by an 1849 effort
Texas gubernatorial election, 1849
The 1849 Texas gubernatorial election was held in November 1849 to select the governor of the state of Texas. Peter Hansborough Bell won the election.-Gubernatorial election results:...
to win a second term. The primary challenger to the governor was Peter H. Bell who ran on the issues of frontier defense and the New Mexico dispute. Wood strongly defended the positions he had taken but was defeated by a margin of 10,319 votes to 8,754.
Later life
After leaving office, Wood returned to his farm. In addition to his plantation, he established a mercantile business in GalvestonGalveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
. Woud made unsuccessful runs to be elected Governor in 1853 and 1855. He died at his home on September 3, 1858.