John Leeds Kerr

John Leeds Kerr

John Leeds Kerr (born January 15, 1780 in Annapolis , Maryland , †  February 21, 1844 in Easton , Maryland) was an American politician ( Whig Party ) who represented the state of Maryland in both chambers of Congress .

Life

Kerr graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis in 1899 . He studied law , was inducted into the bar in 1801, and worked as a lawyer in Easton.

From 1806 to 1810 he held the post of assistant prosecutor in Talbot County . During the British-American War he commanded a company of the militia. He later represented the state of Maryland in court in lawsuits against the federal government resulting from the aftermath of the war.

Political career

In 1824, John Kerr was first elected to the US House of Representatives. In 1826 he was re-elected, but not two years later, so that on March 3, 1829 he had to leave the Congress. However, he returned to Parliament on March 4, 1831 for two more years, in which he was, among other things, chairman of the Territorial Committee ( Committee on Territories ).

In 1840 Kerr belonged to the Whigs at the Electoral College , which William Henry Harrison elected as US President. In the same year he won the election to the US Senator to succeed the late John S. Spence . He took his mandate from January 5, 1841 to March 3, 1843 and acted during this time, among other things, as chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings .

John Leeds Kerr passed away in Easton just one year after his tenure in the Senate had ended. His son John also became a member of the US House of Representatives in 1849.

Web links

• John Leeds Kerr in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)