David Rittenhouse Porter (31 October 1788 - 6 August 1867) was governor of Pennsylvania from 1839 to 1845. He was a business owner for a while until business failures and recession drove him into politics, serving the Pennsylvania legislature. He narrowly defeated incumbent governor Joseph Ritner in 1838. The narrow margin of victory, contested by Ritner supporters of, led to the Buckshot War . Porter led the state through a recession and help suppress anti-Catholic riots in Philadelphia. Following his term as governor, he returned to business; Porter owned an iron works and promoted a transcontinental railroad.
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Last updated: 08-12-2005 01:24:27
