Joseph Ritner
| Joseph Ritner | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 8th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
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In office December 15, 1835 – January 15, 1839 |
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| Preceded by | George Wolf |
| Succeeded by | David R. Porter |
| Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
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In office 1826-1828 |
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| Preceded by | Joel Barlow Sutherland |
| Succeeded by | Ner Middleswarth |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
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In office 1820-1826 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | March 25, 1780 Reading, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 16, 1869 (aged 89) Mount Rock, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania |
| Political party |
Democratic-Republican (before 1828) Anti-Masonic (1828–1839) Whig (1839–1854) Republican (1854–1869) |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Alter (1801–1852; her death) |
| Profession | Farmer |
Joseph Ritner (March 25, 1780 – October 16, 1869) was the eighth Governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, elected as a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. He was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election, 1835, and served from 1835 to 1839. Controversy surrounding his 1838 electoral defeat led to the Buckshot War. In 1856, Governor Ritner was a delegate to the first Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.
Ritner was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1780. His parents were of German heritage, and Ritner was primarily self-educated, including learning to read and write in English while also acquiring a working knowledge of German. He moved to Cumberland County as a teenager, where he worked as a farm hand and laborer until he purchased a farm of his own in Washington County. In 1801, Ritner married Susan Alter, and they were the parents of 10 children. The Washington County farm had been owned by Ritner's wife's uncle, and included a large library, which enabled Ritner to continue his efforts at self-study.
During the War of 1812 Ritner served first as commander of a Washington County militia company, the Rifle Rangers. He later served as a private with his regiment in western Pennsylvania and Ohio.
In 1820 Ritner was elected road supervisor in Washington County. Later that year he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Democratic-Republican. He was reelected five times, and was Speaker in his final two terms.
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