Thomas Hendricks was the first post Civil War Democrat to be elected Vice President, but died less than a year after taking office in 1885.

He was born in Zanesville Ohio in 1819. When he was still an infant his family moved to Indiana to be close to his father's brother, US Congressman and soon to be governor, William Hendricks. He attended Hanover College, and then a private law school in Pennsylvania. He passed the Indiana state bar in 1873 and began a law practice in Shelbyville.


He was elected to the Indiana Legislature in 1848 where he defended the rights of immigrants against the prejudices of the Know Nothing Party. However when it came to Blacks he promoted segregation laws, and wanted to block free Blacks from entering Indiana. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1850 and soon became a supporter of Stephen Douglas and the Kansas Nebraska act, which would nullify the Missouri compromise and allow "Popular sovereignty", or the choice to be free or slave in the new territories. Hendricks was defeated for reelection in 1854.

In 1855 President Franklin Pierce appointed him to be the Commissioner of the General Land Office in the Interior Department. He stayed at that post until 1859. 

He went back to Indiana in 1860, entered the Governors race and lost. 

After the shots were fired at Fort Sumter the Indiana Democrat Party split in to two factions, the "Peace" and the "War" Democrats. Jesse Bright, Indiana's US Senator and president pro tem, was expelled when a letter was found that he had written to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, suggesting that the CSA buy rifles from an Indiana manufacturer. “Peace” Democrat Jesse Bright expected the Indiana legislature to reelect him, but instead they elected someone else to temporarily fill his Senate seat. 

After the next election in 1863 Thomas Hendrick became Indiana's US Senator at a time when there was only 10 Democrats and 33 Republicans. When the Indiana legislature’s “Peace” Democrats tried to pass resolutions calling for an immediate peace treaty with the South US Senator Hendricks was able to rally the pro war faction of the party and kept Indiana on the side of Union. In March of 1865 Lincoln met with Hendricks in the White House. Lincoln told him "We have differed in politics Senator Hendricks, but you have uniformly treated my administration with fairness." 

During reconstruction Hendricks opposed the policies of the Republicans and reminded them that Lincoln himself had been against radical ideas. He had even opposed dropping the fugitive slave laws until after slavery was declared unconstitutional. 

One advantage he had over other Democrats was not being stigmatized as a Copperhead. In 1868 his name was entered in the Presidential race but the nomination went to New York Governor Horatio Seymore. Hendricks then ran for governor of Indiana, and lost. Then in 1872 he ran again for governor and was elected and served from 1873 until 1877. 

The election of 1876 was one of the closest and controversial in our nations history. Hendricks was the Democrat’s vice presidential nominee running with New York governor Samuel Tilden. In an election which gave Tilden the popular vote, but left the electorial vote undecided, compromises were made and Rutherford B Hayes became the President. 

While vacationing in Hot Springs Arkansas in 1880 Hendricks suffered a stroke and had to drop out of the race for President. Four years later the major national issues had changed. Rights for Negroes were forgotten and soft money vs hard currency became the question of the day. Hendricks spoke for rural soft money Democrats who supported a currency backed by both gold and silver. 

New York governor Grover Cleveland defended the policy of a sound currency backed by the gold standard. The Hendricks camp had tried to start a "spontanious" demonstration on the convention floor. When Hendricks stepped up to the podium party bosses loyal to him jumped to their feet, and the band started playing, but Cleveland’s forces had been warned and were able to put out Hendricks little fire. Despite their differences they joined forces. Hendricks was a strong campaigner and was called a "Tower of strength" for the ticket. 

As Vice President Hendricks often found himself at odds with the President, and was angered when Cleveland ignored request for patronage from local Democrat party bosses. Cleveland had called his Democrat opponents, including the Vice President, "Old Jacksonian spoilsmen and wild eyed currency reformers". 

While attending a meeting of the Survivors of the Indiana Constitutional convention Vice President Hendricks died.