Lewis Charles Levin

Lewis Charles Levin

Lewis Charles Levin (born November 10, 1808 in Charleston , South Carolina , †  March 14, 1860 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was an American politician . Between 1845 and 1851 he represented the state of Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Lewis Levin graduated from South Carolina College , which later became the University of South Carolina in Columbia . Around 1828 he moved to Woodville , Mississippi , where he worked as a teacher. After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he began practicing this profession in various states. At the same time he embarked on a political career. He led a crusade against alcohol consumption. He was also one of the founders of the American Party in 1842 . He gave provocative speeches, including against Catholics, who led to unrest among the population in Philadelphia. Levin published the Philadelphia Daily Sun newspaper at the time.

In the congressional election of 1844 Levin was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the first constituency of Pennsylvania , where he succeeded Edward Joy Morris on March 4, 1845 . After two re-elections, he was able to complete three legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1851 . These were shaped by the events of the Mexican-American War . After that, the discussions about the question of slavery determined American domestic policy. From 1847 to 1849 Levin was chairman of the Committee on Engraving . In 1850 he was not re-elected.

After the end of his time in the US House of Representatives, Lewis Levin sought his election to the US Senate . He came under suspicion of corruption because he should have tried to bribe members of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania . Under the law of the time, they had the power to elect the US senators. In the following years he continued his agitation against political opponents. In the process he suffered a nervous breakdown. He was admitted to a mental hospital, where he died on March 14, 1860.

Web links

• Lewis Charles Levin in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Lewis Charles Levin in the database of Find a Grave (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Edward Joy Morris	United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania (1st constituency) March 4, 1845 - March 3, 1851	Thomas Birch Florence