John McCandless Thompson
Encyclopedia
John McCandless Thompson (January 4, 1829 – September 3, 1903) was a Republican
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
) was born near Butler, Pennsylvania
. He attended the common schools and Witherspoon Institute
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1854 and began practice in Butler. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1859 and 1860, and served one year as speaker. He entered the Union Army
during the American Civil War
and served as major and subsequently as lieutenant colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was a delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention
.
Thompson was elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ebenezer McJunkin
. He elected to the Forty-fifth Congress
. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1878. He resumed the practice of his profession and died in Butler in 1903. Interment in Butler Cemetery.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Biography
Thompson (brother of William George ThompsonWilliam George Thompson
William George Thompson was a Civil War officer, trial-court judge, territorial justice, and Republican Representative in the U.S. House of Iowa's 5th congressional district.-Biography:...
) was born near Butler, Pennsylvania
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. He attended the common schools and Witherspoon Institute
Witherspoon Institute
The Whitherspoon Institute is a conservative think tank in Princeton, New Jersey.-Overview:Founded in 2003 by Robert P. George and others, the institute is named after John Witherspoon. It shares many scholars with the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Fellows include Jean...
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1854 and began practice in Butler. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1859 and 1860, and served one year as speaker. He entered the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and served as major and subsequently as lieutenant colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was a delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention
1868 Republican National Convention
The 1868 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in Crosby's Opera House, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on May 20 to May 21, 1868....
.
Thompson was elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress
43rd United States Congress
The Forty-third 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, 1873 to March 4, 1875, during the fifth and sixth...
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ebenezer McJunkin
Ebenezer McJunkin
Ebenezer McJunkin was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
. He elected to the Forty-fifth Congress
45th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:-Senate:*President: William A. Wheeler *President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry -House of Representatives:*Speaker: Samuel J. Randall -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1878. He resumed the practice of his profession and died in Butler in 1903. Interment in Butler Cemetery.