Background
Young was born on June 12, 1802 in Chelsea, Vermont, but moved a few years later to Freeport, now Conesus, Livingston County, New York. His father was Thomas Young, an eccentric but persevering farmer, his mother was Mary Gale.
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Young was born on June 12, 1802 in Chelsea, Vermont, but moved a few years later to Freeport, now Conesus, Livingston County, New York. His father was Thomas Young, an eccentric but persevering farmer, his mother was Mary Gale.
From his parents, Young received nothing beyond the ordinary district schooling, but through his own efforts the youth acquired a knowledge of the classics, and after a period of teaching entered upon a law clerkship which led to his admission to the bar of the supreme court of the state in 1829.
Young began to practise in Geneseo, and continued to maintain an office there and to pursue his profession in the interims between his periods of public service. Young early inclined to politics. Beginning as an ardent Jacksonian Democrat he ran unsuccessfully in 1828 for the office of county clerk. He entered the Assembly in 1832 under the Anti-Masonic banner, and in 1836-1837 and 1841-1843 represented his district in Congress as a Whig. He sought constantly to serve his constituents. He supported the bill providing for the distribution of the proceeds from the sales of public lands, the tariff bill of 1842, and other regular Whig measures - all of which President Tyler vetoed - and at the end of the Twenty-seventh Congress signed the Whig justificatory manifesto. When in 1845 he again represented Livingston County in the Assembly, he had become adept at taking advantage of tactical opportunities offered by factional divisions within parties. Against a Democratic majority led by Horatio Seymour, he pushed through to a successful vote the Whig measure providing for the calling of a convention to revise the constitution, bringing to its support all but two of the Whig votes and the "Hunker" wing of the Democratic party. This was undoubtedly his most outstanding achievement, and made him his party's leader in the state. Before his nomination for governor in 1846 he intimated in writing that he favored pardoning those Antirent rioters who had been imprisoned during the term of Gov. Silas Wright. As the candidate of both Whigs and Antirenters he overwhelmingly defeated Wright for re-election, and almost immediately on taking office in January 1847 granted such a pardon, thereby alienating the conservatives of his own party. Practically stripped of appointive power by the new constitution, which he himself had favored, he filled such offices as were still at his disposal without consulting Thurlow Weed and others who had aided in his election. He incurred unpopularity also by reiterating a statement made in 1846 to the effect that he believed in sustaining the United States and its citizens "against a foreign enemy, at all times, and under all circumstances, right or wrong", but his positive efforts in helping prosecute the war with Mexico once it was declared won much popular approval. His governorship was not particularly noteworthy, and he did not seek re-election. Although a firm friend of Clay, he supported Taylor for president in 1848 because he felt that after Clay's crushing defeat in 1844 Taylor was the most available Whig. As a reward he was appointed assistant treasurer of the United States in New York City, which position he occupied until his death. He died in New York City of pulmonary tuberculosis, from which he had suffered for a number of years.
Young was a man of decided ability, quick in apprehension, and energetic in action, who, though strong in his feelings, and clear in his plans lacked discretion and overrated the means at his disposal.
In 1833 Young married Ellen Harris of York, who with several children survived him.
