The next year, he was nominated for governor on the Whig ticket and defeated William O. Butler in the general election.

In spite of his opposition to the Mexican–American War, large numbers of Kentucky's citizens volunteered for military service.

Hardin successfully challenged his removal in court, then resigned in protest of Owsley's actions and charged him with practicing nepotism in his appointments.

[3] In 1783, his family relocated to Lincoln County, Kentucky, settling between the settlements of Crab Orchard and Stanford.

[2] Governor Charles Scott appointed him to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1810, where he served alongside his teacher, John Boyle.

[2] This law granted debtors a two-year grace period in repaying their debts unless their creditors would accept notes from the Bank of Kentucky.

[10] The decision was extremely unpopular with the Commonwealth's citizens, but it was re-affirmed by the court's opinion in the related case of Lapsley v. Brashcars and Barr.

[2] Following these decisions, the General Assembly attempted to remove all three justices from their positions, but lacked the two-thirds majority required for impeachment.

[14] Their resignations were an attempt to silence criticism from the defeated New Court faction that they held their seats in defiance of the will of the people.

[14] Accordingly, newly elected governor Thomas Metcalfe submitted both men to the legislature for confirmation, but the nominations were defeated in the state senate.

[2] When James Turner Morehead ascended to the governorship upon the death of John Breathitt, he appointed Owsley Secretary of State for his shortened term from 1834 to 1836.

[18] Education made progress during Owsley's tenure, largely due to his appointment of Robert J. Breckinridge as public school superintendent in 1847.

[18] In 1845, Secretary of War William L. Marcy requested that Kentucky provide militiamen to bolster Zachary Taylor's forces in the new state of Texas.

[19] He joined fellow Kentucky Whigs John J. Crittenden and Henry Clay in deriding the conflict as "Mr. Polk's War".

[19] However, postal workers in the state opened Marcy's letter before delivering it to Owsley and had spread the word that the federal government had once again requested troops.

[19] By the time Owsley made the formal call for volunteers on May 22, 1846, an entire regiment of Kentucky troops had already been organized.

[19] Despite his personal opposition to the war, Owsley boasted in his report to Marcy that the Commonwealth had raised 13,700 volunteers, more than five times the number requested of him.

[23] Pleasant Retreat, his home in Garrard County during his early political career, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.