John T. Stuart

John T. Stuart

John Todd Stuart (born November 10, 1807 in Lexington , Kentucky , †  November 23, 1885 in Springfield , Illinois ) was an American politician . Between 1839 and 1843 and again from 1863 to 1865 he represented the state of Illinois in the US House of Representatives .

Career

John Todd Stuart was a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln , wife of US President Abraham Lincoln . Until 1826 he attended Center College in Danville . After a subsequent law degree and his admission as a lawyer in 1828, he began to work in Springfield in this profession, where he ran a joint law firm with Abraham Lincoln. In 1832 he took part in the Black Hawk War as a major . At the same time he embarked on a political career. Between 1832 and 1836 he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives . In the mid-1830s he became a member of the Whig Party . In 1836 he ran unsuccessfully for Congress .

In the congressional elections of 1838 Stuart was then elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the third constituency of Illinois , where he succeeded William L. May on March 4, 1839 . After re-election, he was able to complete two legislative terms in Congress until March 3, 1843. The period from 1841 was marked by tension between President John Tyler and the Whigs. In addition, a possible annexation of the Republic of Texas , which has been independent of Mexico since 1836, was already being discussed. In 1842, Stuart renounced another candidacy.

Between 1848 and 1852 he was a member of the Illinois Senate . In 1860 he ran unsuccessfully as a unionist for governor of Illinois. He later became a member of the Democratic Party . In the elections of 1862 Stuart was re-elected as their candidate in the eighth district of his state in Congress, where he replaced Philip B. Fouke on March 4, 1863 . By March 3, 1863, he completed another legislative period there, which was shaped by the events of the civil war .

After his time in the US House of Representatives, John Stuart practiced law again. He died in Springfield on November 23, 1885.

Web links

• John T. Stuart in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• John T. Stuart in the database of Find a Grave (English)