Thomas Jefferson Majors (June 25, 1841 – July 11, 1932) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

. He was born in

Libertyville, Iowa Libertyville is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 274 at the time of the 2020 census. It was platted in 1845. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. De ...

, on June 25, 1841, and attended the Nebraska state

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

. He moved to

Peru, Nebraska Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census. Peru State College is located in Peru. History The first attempt to settle the community took place in 1853, by some residents of Peru, Illino ...

, in 1860 and entered the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

in June 1861 as a first lieutenant of Company C, First Regiment, Nebraska Volunteer Infantry. He served successively as captain, major, and lieutenant

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of that regiment and was mustered out June 15, 1866. He was a member of the last Nebraska Territorial council in 1866, and its equivalent after Nebraska was accepted as a state, the first Nebraska State senate, from 1867 to 1869. He was appointed assessor of internal revenue for the Nebraska district in 1869 until the offices of collector and assessor were merged into one. He was elected as a

to the

Forty-fifth United States Congress The 45th 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, 1877, ...

as the second member of Nebraska's house congressional delegation. He did not present his credentials and was not seated as the house only recognized Nebraska as having one representative. When the recognized representative, Frank Welch, died, he ran and subsequently was elected. He was elected to both the Forty-sixth and

Forty-seventh United States Congress The 47th 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, 1881, ...

es again as the second member of the delegation, but the House, on February 24, 1883, disallowed Nebraska’s claim to an additional Member and refused to seat him. He returned to Nebraska and became the director of Citizens’ State Bank of Peru. He was elected to the Nebraska State House of Representatives in 1889, and became the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska from 1891 to 1895 serving under three different Governors

John Milton Thayer John Milton Thayer (January 24, 1820March 19, 1906) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum United States Senator from Nebraska. Thayer served as Governor of Wyoming Territory and Governor of Nebraska. T ...

, James E. Boyd and Lorenzo Crounse. He ran for

Governor of Nebraska The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...

in 1894 against Silas A. Holcomb, but lost. He then served as a member and president of the State

board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...

. He died in Peru on July 11, 1932, and was buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Peru.

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External links

* at the

Nebraska State Historical Society History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." I ...

. Retrieved on 2009-10-27. {{DEFAULTSORT:Majors, Thomas Jefferson 1841 births 1932 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Nebraska People from Jefferson County, Iowa People from Peru, Nebraska People of Nebraska in the American Civil War Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Republican Party Nebraska state senators Republican Party members of the Nebraska House of Representatives School board members in Nebraska Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska