Wilson Shannon 1839 State of the State Address
This 29 page booklet contains the text of Governor Wilson Shannon's message to the 38th General Assembly of Ohio on Dec. 3, 1839. Shannon (1802-1877) served as Ohio's 14th and 16th governor – from 1838 to 1840, and from 1842 to 1844, when he resigned. The major issue during Shannon's administrations was that of banking and currency. As a Democrat, Shannon felt that the financial crisis was due to the banks and over-circulation of currency, and thus advocated a program of broad banking reform. In this message, Shannon emphasized his banking program and advised the assembly to focus on completing internal improvements in order to keep the state from falling further into debt.