Richard Coke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Coke
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| United States Senator from Texas |
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| In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1895 |
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| Preceded by | Morgan C. Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Horace Chilton |
| 15th Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 15, 1874 – December 1, 1876 |
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| Lieutenant | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Edmund J. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Richard B. Hubbard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1829 |
| Died | May 14, 1897 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | College of William and Mary |
Richard Coke (March 18, 1829 – May 14, 1897) was an American lawyer and politician from Waco, Texas. He served as the 15th governor of Texas from 1874 to 1876. Later, he became a US Senator from 1877 to 1895.
His time as governor is important because it brought back local rule in Texas after the Reconstruction period. Many Texans admired Richard Coke. They believed he helped Texas regain control from the Federal government after the Civil War. However, his time in office also involved policies that limited voting rights for African American citizens. His uncle was US Representative Richard Coke Jr..
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Coke was born in 1829 in Williamsburg, Virginia. His parents were John and Eliza (Hankins) Coke. He attended the College of William and Mary. In 1848, he earned a law degree from the college.
Joining the Confederacy
In 1850, Coke moved to Texas and started his own law practice in Waco. He married Mary Horne of Waco in 1852. They had four children, but sadly, all of them passed away before reaching age 30.
In 1859, Governor Hardin R. Runnels asked Coke to lead a group. This group's job was to move the remaining Comanche native people from West Texas and the Texas Hill Country.
Coke was chosen as a delegate for the Secession Convention in Austin in 1861. A main goal of this meeting was to keep slavery legal. Coke himself owned enslaved people. He voted for Texas to leave the United States and join the Confederacy.
He joined the Confederate Army as a private soldier. In 1862, he formed a company that became part of the 15th Texas Infantry. He served as its captain for the rest of the war. He was injured in a battle called Bayou Bourbeau on November 3, 1863, near Opelousas, Louisiana. After the war ended, he went back home to Waco.
Texas After the Civil War
In 1865, Coke was appointed as a judge for a Texas district court. The next year, in 1866, he was elected as an associate justice to the Texas Supreme Court. However, in 1867, the military Governor-General Philip Sheridan removed Coke and four other judges. Sheridan believed they were slowing down the Reconstruction efforts.
The removal of these five judges became a very famous event. It made their names well-known as symbols of resistance against the Union's control.
Richard Coke used the public's unhappiness with Union control to build a strong Democratic group. This group would lead Texas for over 100 years. During the 1870s, this group helped bring back conservative white control in Texas. This included policies that limited voting rights for Black Texans. These limits were kept in place using things like poll taxes and white primaries. The number of Black voters dropped a lot, from over 100,000 in the 1890s to only 5,000 by 1906.
Becoming Governor
After being removed from the Texas Supreme Court, Coke ran for governor as a Democrat in 1873. He took office in January 1874. The Texas Supreme Court said his election was not valid. This was because the polls were open for only one day, not the four days required by the state constitution. This court case was very important.
Despite the court's decision, the Democrats took control of the Capitol building. The current governor, Edmund J. Davis, had state troops on the lower floor. However, a local military unit, the Travis Rifles, ended up protecting Coke. On January 15, 1874, Coke was sworn in as governor.
Governor Davis tried to get help from the federal government. But President Ulysses S. Grant said he would not send federal troops to keep Davis in office. Davis then resigned on January 19. Coke becoming governor meant that the Democratic Party was back in charge in Texas.
Governor's Actions
As governor, Coke worked hard to balance the state's budget. A new state constitution was also created and approved in 1876 during his time. He also played a key role in starting the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, which is now Texas A&M University.
Having been removed from the Texas Supreme Court himself, Governor Coke later appointed all its members. He named Oran Milo Roberts as Chief Justice. George F. Moore, who was Chief Justice when he was removed with Coke, became the first chief justice elected under Texas's 1876 Constitution.
After the new Constitution was agreed upon, Coke resigned from his governor's office in December 1876. This was because the state legislature had elected him to the United States Senate.
Later Life and Death
Coke was re-elected to the US Senate in 1882 and 1888. He served in the Senate until March 3, 1895. He did not run for re-election in 1894.
Coke retired to his home and farm near Waco. He became sick after being exposed to bad weather while fighting a flood on the Brazos River in April 1897. After a short illness, he passed away at his home in Waco. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
Legacy
Richard Coke's rise to power marked a big change in Texas. It brought back locally elected government and established a strong Democratic party. This party would control the Texas government for over 100 years.
The 1876 constitution, created during Coke's time as governor, is still the current Constitution of Texas. Coke County in West Texas is named after him. Texas Governor Coke Stevenson was also named after Richard Coke.
