Benjamin Huger (politician)

Benjamin Huger

Benjamin Huger (* 1768 in Charleston , Province of South Carolina , † July 7, 1823 in Georgetown , South Carolina ) was an American politician . Between 1799 and 1805 and again from 1815 to 1817 he represented the state of South Carolina in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Benjamin Huger received a good primary school education and then worked in rice cultivation. On the Waccamaw River he operated a corresponding plantation. Since 1796 he was also politically active as a member of the Federalist Party founded by Alexander Hamilton . Between 1796 and 1798 he was a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina .

In 1798 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in the third constituency of South Carolina. There he took over from Lemuel Benton on March 4, 1799 . After two re-elections, he was able to complete three legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1805 . During this time, the federal capital was moved to Washington, DC . In 1803 the territory of the United States was significantly expanded by the Louisiana Purchase of President Thomas Jefferson , and in 1804 the 12th Amendment to the Constitution was passed.

Between 1806 and 1813, Huger was again a member of the parliament of his state. In the congressional elections of 1814 he was re-elected to Congress for the legislative period between March 4, 1815 and March 3, 1817. From 1818 to 1823 he was a member of the South Carolina Senate , of which he was president from 1819 to 1822. Benjamin Huger died on July 7, 1823 on his plantation near Georgetown.

Web links

• Benjamin Huger in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Benjamin Huger in the database of Find a Grave (English)