John McLean (Illinois politician)

John McLean (February 4, 1791 – October 14, 1830) was a United States Representative and a Senator from Illinois. He was the brother of Finis McLean and uncle of James David Walker.

For other people named John McLean, see John McLean (disambiguation).
John McLean
United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
November 23, 1824 – March 3, 1825
Preceded byNinian Edwards
Succeeded byElias Kane
In office
March 4, 1829 – October 14, 1830
Preceded byJesse B. Thomas
Succeeded byDavid J. Baker
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's at-large congressional district
In office
December 3, 1818 – March 3, 1819
Preceded byInaugural Holder
Succeeded byDaniel P. Cook
2nd and 6th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
December 4, 1820 – December 2, 1822
Preceded byJohn Messinger
Succeeded byWilliam M. Alexander
In office
December 4, 1826 – March 4, 1829
Preceded byDavid Blackwell
Succeeded byWilliam Lee D. Ewing
Personal details
Born(1791-02-04)February 4, 1791
Greensboro, North Carolina
DiedOctober 14, 1830(1830-10-14) (aged 39)
Shawneetown, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
Democratic
ProfessionLawyer

Born near Guilford Court House (now Greensboro), Guilford County, North Carolina, February 4, 1791, McLean moved with his parents to Logan County, Kentucky in 1795. He moved to Illinois Territory in 1815. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois. When Illinois was admitted as a State into the Union, McLean was elected to the Fifteenth Congress and served from December 3, 1818, to March 3, 1819. He failed to be re-elected in 1818 to the Sixteenth Congress. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for congress in the 1820 and 1822 elections. He was elected to the Illinois State House of Representatives in 1820, 1826, and 1828, and served as speaker.

In 1824, McLean was elected to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ninian Edwards and served from November 23, 1824 to March 3, 1825. He was unsuccessful in a bid for re-election, not managing to get more than 12 votes of the 27 needed in the legislature through 10 ballots,[1] but resumed the practice of law.

He was again elected to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1829, until his death, aged 39, in Shawneetown, Illinois in 1830. He was interred in Westwood Cemetery, near Shawneetown.

Legacy

McLean County, Illinois is named after him.[2]

See also

References
  1. Edwardsville Spectator, Dec. 7, 1824.
  2. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 194.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
State entered union		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's at-large congressional district
December 3, 1818 – March 3, 1819		 Succeeded by
Daniel P. Cook
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
Ninian Edwards		 U.S. senator (Class 3) from Illinois
1824–1825
Served alongside: Jesse B. Thomas		 Succeeded by
Elias K. Kane
Preceded by
Jesse B. Thomas		 U.S. senator (Class 2) from Illinois
1829–1830
Served alongside: Elias K. Kane		 Succeeded by
David J. Baker
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