James Greene Hardy was a politician from the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 who belonged to the American or Know-Nothing Party.http://kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx?mode=County&county=50 Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...

, he was a prominent surveyor and teacher for many years.

Early life and family

Hardy was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia

Lunenburg County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

. A descendant of the Hardy Plantation family of Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 associated with the Hardy Mill, Hardy was the son of Isham Peter Hardy and Mary 'Polly' Snead, who had married in Lunenberg County on August 14, 1792. Hardy's family migrated from Lunenberg County to what became Hart County, Kentucky

Hart County, Kentucky

Hart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...

, and the family rapidly became heavily involved in local politics, with various family members serving in various local capacities instrumental for establishing basic governmental services in Munfordville, Kentucky

Munfordville, Kentucky

Munfordville is a city in and the county seat of Hart County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,563 at the 2000 census.-History:The city was once known as Big Buffalo Crossing. The current name came from Richard Jones Munford, who donated the land for development in 1816...

, and in what became Hart County, especially circa 1815-1818.

Although Hardy's family had owned many slaves in Virginia, the Kentucky branch of the Hardy family had not brought any slaves from Virginia with them in their migration from Virginia to Kentucky. It is believed by many within the family that the reason for the move from Virginia itself was largely caused over differences in beliefs regarding slavery. Hence, it is largely believed by his descendants that had James G. Hardy lived, he would likely have joined the nascent Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 by 1860 at the latest.

Hardy was married three times. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Edwards, on January 25, 1814 in Barren County

Barren County, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of...

. To this marriage were born 10 children (Henrietta, Rebecca Elizabeth, Elizabeth Joan, James Lawrence, Polly Lula, Hester Ann, Samuel Henry, Lucetta Perrin, Mary Sue, and Newton J.). He married his second wife, Elizabeth Jane Jennings, on October 10, 1833 in Barren County. To this marriage were born 2 additional children (Thomas Joel and Martha A. "Mattie".) Hardy was married for the third and final time to Minerva K. Guffey on October 27, 1848 in Barren County, and no children were born to this marriage.

Political life

Hardy moved to near Glasgow, Kentucky

Glasgow, Kentucky

Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...

 to make his own professional future and, later, to begin his political future. It was from Glasgow that he first won and held political office. As a state-level politician, he was strongly supportive of the policies of the Know-Nothing Party in the years just before the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. When asked his position on slavery, he would reply in vague terms that it was certainly a serious matter that he would give careful and measured thought to if elected.

Charles S. Morehead

Charles S. Morehead

Charles Slaughter Morehead was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and served as the 20th Governor of Kentucky...

 and James G. Hardy ran for Governor and Lt. Governor, respectively, in 1854 on the Know-Nothing Party ticket in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. They both won election, and Gov. Morehead served from 1855 until 1859, completing his term. Hardy, though, died before completing his term on July 16, 1856, serving only from 1855 to 1856, and his body was sent by rail to Glasgow, KY. A large funeral procession went out from Glasgow, and he was buried on his farm estate in an above-ground mausoleum near Rock Springs Baptist Church, amidst a crowd of several hundred local citizens who accompanied the final procession to pay their respects.

An historical marker honoring Hardy is located today on the west side of U.S. Route 31W

U.S. Route 31W

U.S. Route 31W is the westernmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Route 31 from Nashville, Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky. At one time, it split with U.S...

 roughly 13 miles north of Glasgow, near Rock Springs Baptist Church and the Hardy homeplace/cemetery. The land for Rock Springs Baptist Church, near the Hart and Barren County line, and near the Hardy homeplace and Hardy School, was donated by the Hardy family. Hardyville, Kentucky

Hardyville, Kentucky

Hardyville is a small unincorporated community in Hart County, Kentucky, United States, located east of Munfordville on U.S. Route 31E. It was named in honor of a series of popular stump speeches given at the crossroads during the 1850s by local politician James Greene Hardy, Lieutenant Governor of...

 in Hart County was named in his honor, commemorating a series of popular stump speeches that he gave in the area while campaigning for political office.http://kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx?mode=County&county=50