Peter Turney
Encyclopedia
Peter Turney was governor of the U.S. state
of Tennessee
from 1893 to 1897.
in Winchester, Tennessee
, practicing law with his father, and a Confederate
colonel
in the Civil War
. He was a staunch Democrat
who had also served as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
from 1870 to 1893. As governor, his primary interests were education
and prison
reform. His re-election in 1894 was contested successfully. In tribute to his deep interest in prison reform, over seven decades after his service a new center for youthful offenders in Hickman County was named in his honor. At the time of his service, he was the oldest person ever to serve as governor of Tennessee, but this record was later broken by Robert Love Taylor
.
's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone
.
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 Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1893 to 1897.
Biography
Prior to becoming governor, Turney was a prominent attorneyLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, practicing law with his father, and a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
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...
in 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...
. He was a staunch Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who had also served as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
from 1870 to 1893. As governor, his primary interests were education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
reform. His re-election in 1894 was contested successfully. In tribute to his deep interest in prison reform, over seven decades after his service a new center for youthful offenders in Hickman County was named in his honor. At the time of his service, he was the oldest person ever to serve as governor of Tennessee, but this record was later broken by Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1879 to 1881, Governor of Tennessee from 1887 to 1891 and from 1897 to 1899, and subsequently a United States Senator from that state from 1907 until his death. He is notable for winning the governor's office in an election against...
.
Influence on popular culture
Turney's brother Joe Turney used his political connections to manage a chain gang for financial gain, inspiring a famous blues song, which in turn inspired August WilsonAugust Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Joe Turner's Come and Gone is a play by American playwright, August Wilson, the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, The Pittsburgh Cycle...
.