James Harlan (Iowa politician)
James Harlan | |
---|---|
United States Senator from Iowa | |
In office March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873 | |
Preceded by | Samuel J. Kirkwood |
Succeeded by | William B. Allison |
In office January 29, 1857 – May 15, 1865 | |
Preceded by | Vacant |
Succeeded by | Samuel J. Kirkwood |
In office March 4, 1855 – January 5, 1857 | |
Preceded by | Augustus C. Dodge |
Succeeded by | Vacant |
8th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
In office May 16, 1865 – August 31, 1866 | |
President | Andrew Johnson |
Preceded by | John Usher |
Succeeded by | Orville Browning |
Personal details | |
Born | Clark County, Illinois, U.S. | August 26, 1820
Died | October 5, 1899 Mount Pleasant, Iowa, U.S. | (aged 79)
Political party | Whig (Before 1855) Free Soil (1855–1857) Republican (1857–1899) |
Spouse |
Ann Eliza Peck
(m. 1845; died 1884) |
Children | 4, including Mary |
Education | DePauw University (BA) |
Signature | |
James Harlan (August 26, 1820 – October 5, 1899) was an attorney and politician, a member of the
Early life
Harlan was born on August 26, 1820, in
As a boy, Harlan attended local schools before graduating from Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in 1845.[2]
Career
In 1845, he moved to
First Senate tenure
In 1855, Harlan was elected by the Iowa legislature to the
Secretary of the Interior
Harlan was a close friend of President
Among this group was the poet Walt Whitman, then working as a clerk in the department, who received his dismissal note on June 30, 1865.[5] Harlan had found a copy of Leaves of Grass on Whitman's desk as the poet was making revisions and found it to be morally offensive. "I will not have the author of that book in this Department", he said. "If the President of the United States should order his reinstatement, I would resign sooner than I would put him back."[6] Twenty-nine years later, Harlan defended his firing of Whitman, saying that the clerk was dismissed solely "on the grounds that his services were not needed".[3][7]
Harlan was a member of the
Second Senate tenure
In 1867, he was elected again by the Iowa legislature to the United States Senate and served until the end of his term in January 1873. During his senate service, Harlan was chairman of the committees of Public Lands; District of Columbia; Education; and Indian Affairs.[2]
Later career
Harlan was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1872, and was also an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1895.[2] After his Senate career ended, Harlan turned a previous house of his into the Harlan House Hotel.[1]
From 1882 to 1886, Harlan was appointed by President
Personal life
On November 5, 1845, Harlan was married to Ann Eliza Peck (1824–1884) by President
- Mary Eunice Harlan (1846–1937),[9] who married Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln in 1868. The couple lived during the summers at Harlan's home in Mount Pleasant.[10]
- Silas James Harlan (1850–1850), who died in infancy.[8]
- William Aaron Harlan (1852–1876), who was a close friend of Tad Lincoln.[11]
- Julia Josephine Harlan (1856–1862), who died young.[8]
Harlan died on October 5, 1899, at his hotel in Mount Pleasant, which become his residence in the early 1890s.[12]
Legacy
Harlan's residence, today known as the
A
The city of Harlan, Iowa, in Shelby County was named for him.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Brigham, Johnson (1918). Iowa: Its History and Its Foremost Citizens. S.J. Clarke. p. 285. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "HARLAN, James - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0-520-22687-9. p. 291.
- ^ National Archives, RG48, Entry 14, James Harlan to Bureau Chief, May 29, 1865
- ISBN 0-679-76709-6. p. 455
- ISBN 0-671-22542-1. p. 304.
- ISBN 978-1626199736.
- ^ a b c McMurtry, R. Gerald (Robert Gerald) (1959). The Harlan-Lincoln tradition at Iowa Wesleyan College. Mount Pleasant, Ia.: The Harlan-Lincoln Restoration Commission. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ^ "MRS. LINCOLN, WIDOW OF PRESIDENT'S SON; Married Robert Todd Lincoln in Washington in 1868--Dies in the Capital at 90" (PDF). The New York Times. April 1, 1937. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Ulm, A. H. (August 1, 1926). "MALE LINE OF LINCOLNS IS ENDED; Robert Todd Was the Only One of the Martyr President's Children Who Attained Mature Years MALE LINE OF LINCOLNS ENDS WITH DEATH OF ROBERT TODD" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ^ a b Christopher A. Wilde. "Harlan House Hotel". National Park Service. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
- ^ "Harlan-Lincoln House". Abraham Lincoln Online. Archived from the original on December 3, 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Petroski, William (August 18, 2014). "Harlan statue moved from D.C. to Mount Pleasant". Des Moines Register.[permanent dead link]
External links
- United States Congress. "James Harlan (id: H000211)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- James Harlan at Find a Grave
- Works by or about James Harlan at Internet Archive
- Harlan-Lincoln House, Mount Pleasant, Iowa Archived December 3, 2003, at the Wayback Machine
- James Harlan, Secretary of the Interior