Henry Augustus Muhlenberg (July 21, 1823 – January 9, 1854) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician and
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
(
Democratic) representing the state of
Pennsylvania.
Early years
Muhlenberg was a member of the
Muhlenberg family political dynasty. He was born in
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
, on July 21, 1823. His father,
Henry A. P. Muhlenberg
Henry Augustus Philip Muhlenberg (May 13, 1782 – August 11, 1844) was an American political leader and diplomat. He was a member of the Muhlenberg family political dynasty.
Early life
Henry Augustus Philip Muhlenberg was born in Lancaster, ...
, was a Congressman and U.S. Minister to Austria; his grandfather,
Joseph Hiester, was the
governor of Pennsylvania
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
.
Career
Muhlenberg attended
Dickinson College
, mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts college
, endowment = $645.5 million (2022)
, president = J ...
in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1844, practicing law in Reading, Pennsylvania. He was elected to the
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...
in 1849, serving until 1852 when he was elected to the
United States House of Representatives to represent the 8th Congressional district. He began Congressional service on March 4, 1853, and died less than a year later.
Death
Muhlenberg died in
Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1854, while in office. He was buried in the
Charles Evans Cemetery
Charles Evans Cemetery is an historic, nonsectarian, garden-style cemetery located in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Charles Evans (1768-1847), a son of Quaker parents and native of Philadelphia who became a prominent attorne ...
in
Reading.
His son,
Henry Augustus Muhlenberg, III unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1892.
See also
*
References
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhlenberg, Henry Augustus
1823 births
1854 deaths
Burials at Charles Evans Cemetery
Dickinson College alumni
Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators
Pennsylvania lawyers
Politicians from Reading, Pennsylvania
Hiester family
Muhlenberg family
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
19th-century American legislators
19th-century American lawyers