Luke Lea (politician, 1783)

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Luke Lea (born January 21, 1783 in Surry County , North Carolina , † June 17, 1851 in Fort Leavenworth , Kansas ) was an American politician . Between 1833 and 1837 he represented the state of Tennessee in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Luke Lea was the older brother of Congressman Pryor Lea (1794–1879) and the great grandfather of US Senator Luke Lea . In 1790 he came with his parents to Hawkins County in what is now Tennessee, where he attended public schools. Between 1804 and 1806 he was an employee of the Tennessee House of Representatives . In 1818, he served under the command of General Andrew Jackson during an Indian War . At that time Lea was living in Campbell's station , where he held a number of local offices.

Politically, Lea first joined his former commander Andrew Jackson and became a member of the Democratic Party founded by him in 1828 . In the congressional elections of 1832 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the third constituency of Tennessee , where he succeeded James Israel Standifer on March 4, 1833 . After re-election, he was able to complete two legislative terms in Congress until March 3, 1837 . These were determined by the discussions surrounding President Jackson's policies. The main focus was on the implementation of the controversial Indian Removal Act , the nullification crisis with the state of South Carolina and the president's banking policy. During his first term in Congress, Luke Lea distanced himself from Jackson and his party and joined the opposition Whig Party, founded in 1835 .

Between 1837 and 1839, Lea served as Secretary of State, the executive officer of the state government of Tennessee. In September 1850, he was appointed the federal government's Indian commissioner in Kansas. He held this office until his death on June 17, 1851 near Fort Leavenworth.

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personal data
SURNAME Lea, Luke
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH January 21, 1783
PLACE OF BIRTH Surry County , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH June 17, 1851
Place of death at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas