Editing Thomas A. Hendricks (section)

===Indiana legislature and constitutional convention===
Hendricks began his political career in 1848, when he served a one-year term in the [[Indiana House of Representatives]] after defeating [[Martin M. Ray]], the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] candidate.{{sfn|Holcombe|Skinner|1886|pp=97, 99–100}} Hendricks was also one of the two Shelby County delegates to the 1850–1851 Indiana constitutional convention. He served on committee that created the organization of the state's townships and counties and decided on the taxation and financial portion of the state constitution. Hendricks also debated the clauses on the powers of the different offices and argued in favor of a powerful judiciary and the abolishment of grand juries.{{sfn|Gugin|St. Clair|2006|p=162}}{{sfn|Holcombe|Skinner|1886|pp=109–12}}