Louis McLane: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = {{birth date|1786|505|28}}

| birth_place = [[Smyrna, Delaware|Smyrna]], [[Delaware]], U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1857|10|7|1786|505|28}}

'''Louis McLane''' (May 28, 1786 – October 7, 1857) was an American lawyer and politician from [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], in [[New Castle County, Delaware]], and [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]]. He was a veteran of the [[War of 1812]], a member of the [[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist Party]] and later the [[History of the Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. He served as the U.S. Representativerepresentative from Delaware, U.S. Senatorsenator from Delaware, the tenth U.S. [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]], the twelfth U.S. [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], ambassador (Minister Plenipotentiary) to theGreat United KingdomBritain, and Presidentpresident of the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]].

As a member of President [[Andrew Jackson]]'s Cabinet, McLane was a prominent figure during the [[Bank War]]. McLane pursued a more moderate approach towards the [[Second Bank of the United States]] than the President, but agreed with Jackson's decision in 1832 to veto a Congressional bill renewing the Bank's charter. He also helped draft the [[Force Bill]] in 1833. He was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]] in 1831.<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=1831&year-max=1831&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=April 8, 2021-04-08|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref>

Louis McLane was born in [[Smyrna, Delaware]], on May 28, 1786. His parents,to [[Allan McLane]] and Rebecca Wells McLane, named him for King [[Louis XVI of France]].

McLane's father, [[Allan McLane|Allan]], was a veteran of the [[American Revolutionary War]], appointed by [[George Washington]] in 1797 to the lucrative federal position of [[United States Customs Service|Customs]] collector for the [[Port of Wilmington (Delaware)|Port of Wilmington]]. As a well-known and fervently loyal [[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]], he received the strong backing of [[James A. Bayard (elder)|James A. Bayard]], enabling him to keep his appointment despite the election of a political opponent, [[Thomas Jefferson]]. Allan McLane retained the position for over 30 years, under presidents of both parties, until his death during the administration of [[Andrew Jackson]]. Much of his income came from the seizure of contraband. Louis McLane inherited much of this wealth, along with legal issues that lasted well beyond the death of his father.

Louis married Catherine Mary (Kitty) Milligan in 1812. Their 13 children included [[Robert Milligan McLane]] (1815–1898), a governor of Maryland and U.S. ambassador; [[Louis McLane (expressman)|Louis McLane]] (1819–1905), who became [[List of Wells Fargo presidents|a president]] of [[Wells Fargo & Co.]]; and Lydia Milligan Sims McLane (1822–1887), wife of [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] General [[Joseph E. Johnston]].<ref name="hitandstay">{{cite web |title=McLane-Fisher Family Papers circa 1800-1905, MS. 2403 |url=https://www.hitandstay.com/findingaid/mclane-fisher-family-papers-circa-1800-1905-ms-2403 |website=www.hitandstay.com |publisher=[[Maryland Historical Society]] |access-date=March 8, 2021-03-08}}</ref>

McLane was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives by defeating Thomas Clayton for the Federalist nomination, as Clayton was politically damaged by having voted for a Congressional pay raise in the previous session. From then on the Clayton cousins became McLane's principleprincipal political opponents in Delaware. Nevertheless, McLane was elected six times as a Federalist to the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1816 through 1826. He had a most distinguished career in the U.S. House, serving five full terms from March 4, 1817 to March 3, 1827. In spite being a Federalist, he was Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and it was only his Federalist affiliation that prevented him from being elected Speaker.

[[Category:PeoplePoliticians from Wilmington, Delaware]]