Henry AP Muhlenberg

Henry Augustus Philip Muhlenberg (born May 13, 1782 in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , †  August 11, 1844 in Reading , Pennsylvania) was an American politician . Between 1829 and 1838 he represented the state of Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Henry Muhlenberg came from an important family of politicians in Pennsylvania. He was the father of Henry Augustus Muhlenberg (1823-1854) and nephew of Frederick Muhlenberg (1750-1801), both of whom were Congressmen. He was also a nephew of Peter Muhlenberg (1746-1807), who represented the state of Pennsylvania in both chambers of Congress . After a classical training, Henry Muhlenberg studied theology. After his ordination as a clergyman, he served as pastor of Trinity Church in Reading between 1803 and 1829 . In the 1820s he joined the movement around the future President Andrew Jackson and became a member of the Democratic Party founded by this in 1828 .

In the congressional elections of 1828 Muhlenberg was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the seventh constituency of Pennsylvania , where he succeeded William Addams on March 4, 1829 . After three re-elections, he could remain in Congress until his resignation on February 9, 1838 . Since 1833 he represented the ninth district of his state there. From 1831 he was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims . Since President Jackson took office in 1829, there has been heated debate inside and outside of Congress about its policies. It was about the controversial enforcement of the Indian Removal Act , the conflict with the state of South Carolina , which culminated in the nullification crisis , and the banking policy of the president.

In 1835 and 1837, Muhlenberg ran unsuccessfully for governor of Pennsylvania. From 1838 to 1840 he was the first American envoy to the Austrian Empire . In 1844 he was nominated again by his party as a candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election. But he died in Reading on August 11th of this year, long before the election date.

Web links

• Henry AP Muhlenberg in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Henry AP Muhlenberg in the database of Find a Grave (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
William Addams	United States House Representative for Pennsylvania (7th constituency) with Joseph Fry March 4, 1829 - March 3, 1833	David Douglas Wagener
James Ford	United States House Representative for Pennsylvania (9th constituency) March 4, 1833 - February 9, 1838	George May Germ
Office newly established	United States Envoy to Austria November 7, 1838 - September 18, 1840	Daniel Jenifer