John Blake Rice

John Blake Rice (born May 28, 1809 in Easton , Maryland , † December 17, 1874 in Norfolk , Virginia ) was an American politician . In 1873 and 1874 he represented the state of Illinois in the US House of Representatives ; he previously served as mayor of Chicago from 1865 to 1869 .

Career

John Rice only had a limited education. Between 1829 and 1861 he worked in the theater business. Initially, he was an actor in various states. He later also became a theater manager. From 1847 he worked in Chicago first as an entertainer and actor and then as a theater manager. When his theater burned down in 1850. he temporarily moved to Milwaukee , Wisconsin . In 1851 he returned to Chicago, where he built a new theater.

In 1857 he retired from the stage as an actor; In 1861 he also gave up the management of the theater. Instead, he embarked on a political career as a member of the Republican Party . Between 1865 and 1869 he succeeded Francis Cornwall Sherman as Mayor of Chicago . His tenure as mayor was not without controversy. He was considered a conservative Republican and opposed bills to improve the situation of workers in his city. For example, he was against the introduction of the eight-hour day. His behavior sparked labor unrest. The city council then overruled him. Rice, along with some city council members, has been implicated in illegal activities such as gambling or prostitution. In 1869 he was replaced by Roswell B. Mason .

In the congressional elections of 1872 , John Rice was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the first constituency of Illinois , where he succeeded Charles B. Farwell on March 4, 1873 . He was able to exercise his mandate until his death on December 17, 1874.

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personal data
SURNAME	Rice, John Blake
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	May 28, 1809
PLACE OF BIRTH	Easton , Maryland
DATE OF DEATH	December 17, 1874
Place of death	Norfolk , Virginia