John Morrissey (politician)

John Morrissey

John Morrissey (born February 12, 1831 in Templemore , County Tipperary , Ireland , †  May 1, 1878 in Troy , New York ) was an American politician and world boxing champion. Between 1867 and 1871 he represented New York State in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1833, John Morrissey and his parents came to Troy, New York, from their Irish homeland, where they attended public schools. There he came into conflict with the law several times, including theft and burglary, and spent two months in prison. In 1848 he moved to New York City . Three years later he went to California for a short time , where he worked in the betting business. It was then that he first appeared as a bare knuckle boxer. In 1852 he returned to New York. There he challenged the then (unofficial) world boxing champion Yankee Sullivan to a fight. This went over 37 laps and ended after Sullivan's disqualification with the victory of Morrissey. For the period from 1853 to 1859 he is then listed in the unofficial lists as heavyweight world champion (official lists and competitions did not exist until 1885). Morrissey entered the betting business in New York City and Saratoga . From 1863 he also worked there in the racing business. In Saratoga he ran a casino in which prominent Americans, including the later presidents Ulysses S. Grant , Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur , as well as Cornelius Vanderbilt and Mark Twain frequented. At the height of his business career, Morrissey operated 16 casinos.

Politically, he joined the Democratic Party and was supported by the associated company Tammany Hall . In the congressional elections of 1866 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the fifth constituency of New York , where he succeeded Nelson Taylor on March 4, 1867 . After being re-elected, he was able to complete two terms in Congress until March 3, 1871 . By 1869, the work of Congress was weighed down by tension between Republicans and President Andrew Johnson , which culminated in a narrowly unsuccessful impeachment trial.

In Congress, Morrissey campaigned, among other things, for the interests of Americans who immigrated from Ireland. He became increasingly dissatisfied with the prevailing corruption , especially at Tammany Hall . Therefore, he turned against this organization and in 1870 renounced another congressional candidacy. In the trial of William Tweed , the head of Tammany Hall and formerly the most influential politician in New York City, Morrissey testified against him, which contributed significantly to his conviction. After the end of his time in the US House of Representatives, he resumed his previous activities. From 1875 until his death he was an anti-Tammany Hall candidate in the New York Senate . He died on May 1, 1878 in Troy and was buried there with great sympathy from the population and the entire State Senate.

In 1969, Morrissey was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame .

Remarks

1. ↑ according to other sources in Saratoga Springs

Web links

Wikisource: The New York Times / Boxing  - Sources and full texts (English)

• John Morrissey in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Biography (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Nelson Taylor	United States House of Representatives for New York (5th constituency) March 4, 1867 - March 3, 1871	William R. Roberts