Lucas Miltiades Miller (some sources report his first name as Lucius) (September 15, 1824December 4, 1902) was a

Greek American Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...

merchant, attorney and politician who served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Biography

Born in Livadia in the

First Hellenic Republic The First Hellenic Republic ( grc-gre, Αʹ Ελληνική Δημοκρατία) was the provisional Greek state during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. From 1822 until 1827, it was known as the Provisional Administra ...

(a provisional state that existed during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

), Miller was left an orphan at the age of four, when he was adopted by abolitionist

Jonathan Peckham Miller Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media *Jonathan (1970 film), ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer *Jonathan (2016 film), ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by ...

, an American who served as a colonel in the Greek Army during the

Greek revolution The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. He accompanied his foster father upon his return to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and settled in Montpelier,

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

in 1828. He attended the common schools and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1845. He began a

law practice In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

, in 1846, while also owning a

general merchandise General line of merchandise or general merchandise is a term used in retail and wholesale business in reference to merchandise not limited to some particular category. General merchandise stores (general stores) address this sector of retail. Acc ...

business with

Edward Eastman Edward Eastman (February 22, 1806February 23, 1870) was an American merchant, politician, and pioneer settler of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was active in civic and territorial affairs, and known as a Democrat and Free Soiler. In 1847 he was one of a ...

, a fellow emigrant from Vermont. He also engaged in agricultural pursuits and served as colonel of militia in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. He was nominated for the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

's Fourth District in 1849 as the candidate of the "Union Democratic Party" (soon to join with the

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party was a short-lived coalition political party in the United States active from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party. The party was largely focused on the single issue of opposing the expansion of slavery into ...

) faction of the Wisconsin Democratic Party; but lost to John A. Eastman, the

Regular Democrat Reform Democrats in the United States are members of the Democratic Party who are opposed to the Democratic political machines of their respective cities, counties, or states or to analogous machine politics at a national level. Reform Democrats ar ...

or " Hunker" Democratic candidate. He served as a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

in 1853 and was commissioner of the Wisconsin Board of Public Works. He served ten years as chairman of the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors. Miller was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Fifty-second Congress The 52nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1891, ...

(March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893), though was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1892. He died in

on December 4, 1902 and was interred in Riverside Cemetery. While serving in Congress, he proposed a

Constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...

to change the country's name to "the United States of the Earth".

References

External links

---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Lucas Miltiades 1824 births 1902 deaths County supervisors in Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly American militia officers People from Livadeia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin Businesspeople from Wisconsin Wisconsin lawyers Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin Greek emigrants to the United States 19th-century American politicians 19th-century Greek Americans Military personnel from Wisconsin