David R. Porter
David Rittenhouse Porter | |
|---|---|
| 9th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 15, 1839 – January 21, 1845 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Ritner |
| Succeeded by | Francis R. Shunk |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1819–1823 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 8th district | |
| In office 1836–1838 | |
| Preceded by | John Harper |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Slenker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 31, 1788 Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 1867 (aged 78) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Josephine McDermott (m. 1820) |
| Signature | |
David Rittenhouse Porter (October 31, 1788 – August 6, 1867) was the ninth governor of Pennsylvania. Voted into office during the controversial 1838 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, which was characterized by intense anti-Masonic and anti-abolitionist rhetoric during and after the contest that sparked the post-election Buckshot War, he served as the state's chief executive officer from 1839 to 1845.
His son, Horace Porter, who was the aide-de-camp of Union General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War, served as the United States Ambassador to France from 1897 to 1905.