David S. Kaufman
Encyclopedia
David Spangler Kaufman (December 18, 1813 – January 31, 1851) was a U.S. Representative
from Texas
. He was the first Jew elected to Congress from Texas.
to German
Jewish parents, Kaufman pursued classical studies and was graduated from Princeton College in 1833.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Natchez, Mississippi
. He commenced practice in Natchitoches, Louisiana
. Attracted by the developing country in the Southwest, Kaufman moved to Nacogdoches, Republic of Texas
, in 1837.
and was wounded at the Battle of the Neches.
1838-1843. He served in the Texas Senate
1843-1845. He was appointed Chargé d'Affaires of Texas to the United States in 1845.
Upon the admission of Texas as a State into the Union, Kaufman was elected as a Democrat
to the Twenty-ninth Congress. He was reelected to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses and served from March 30, 1846, until 1851. He served as chairman of the Committee on Rules (Thirty-first Congress).
, on January 31, 1851. Kaufman was originally interred in the Congressional Cemetery
in Washington, DC. In 1932 he was reinterred in the Texas State Cemetery
at Austin, Texas
, in 1932.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was the first Jew elected to Congress from Texas.
Early life and education
Born in Boiling Springs, PennsylvaniaBoiling Springs, Pennsylvania
Boiling Springs is a census-designated place in South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area...
to German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
Jewish parents, Kaufman pursued classical studies and was graduated from Princeton College in 1833.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
. He commenced practice in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. Attracted by the developing country in the Southwest, Kaufman moved to Nacogdoches, Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, in 1837.
Military service
He served in the military against the Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and was wounded at the Battle of the Neches.
Public service
He served as a member of the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
1838-1843. He served in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
1843-1845. He was appointed Chargé d'Affaires of Texas to the United States in 1845.
Upon the admission of Texas as a State into the Union, Kaufman was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Twenty-ninth Congress. He was reelected to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses and served from March 30, 1846, until 1851. He served as chairman of the Committee on Rules (Thirty-first Congress).
Death
Kaufman died from a heart attack in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on January 31, 1851. Kaufman was originally interred in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
in Washington, DC. In 1932 he was reinterred in the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
at Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, in 1932.
External links
- http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/KK/hgk2.htmlThe Handbook of Texas Online: Kaufman, TexasKaufman, TexasKaufman is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,490 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kaufman County.-Geography:Kaufman is located at ....
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