1. John McLean was an American jurist and politician who served in the United States Congress, as US Postmaster General, and as a justice of the Ohio and United States Supreme Courts.
25 Facts About John McLean
1. 2.
John McLean was often discussed for the Whig Party nominations for president, and is one of the few people who served in all three branches of government.
3.
John McLean founded The Western Star, a weekly newspaper, and established a law practice.
4.
John McLean won election to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1813 until his election to the Ohio Supreme Court in 1816.
5.
John McLean resigned from that position to accept appointment to the administration of President James Monroe, becoming the United States Postmaster General in 1823.
6.
John McLean received the support of delegates at the 1848 Whig National Convention, the 1856 Republican National Convention, and the 1860 Republican National Convention.
7.
John McLean served on the court until his death in 1861.
8.
John McLean was born in Morris County, New Jersey, the son of Fergus John McLean and Sophia Blackford.
9.
John McLean studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1807.
10.
John McLean was elected to the US House for the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses, serving from March 4,1813, until he resigned in 1816 to take a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court, to which he had been elected on February 17,1816, replacing William W Irvin.
11.
The Court ruled, with John McLean issuing its opinion, that since Carneal sold Lunsford to a Mr James Riddle, the man who sent Lunsford to Cincinnati, he did in fact forfeit his right to be Lunsford's owner.
12.
John McLean resigned his judgeship in 1822 to take President James Monroe's appointment to be Commissioner of the United States General Land Office, serving until 1823, when Monroe appointed him United States Postmaster General.
13.
John McLean declined both and was instead appointed to the Supreme Court by Jackson on March 6,1829, to a seat vacated by Robert Trimble.
14.
John McLean was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 7,1829, receiving his commission the same day.
15.
John McLean was touted as a potential Whig presidential candidate throughout the 1830s-40s.
16.
President John McLean Tyler offered him the post of Secretary of War, but he declined.
17.
John McLean sought the presidency again in 1860 despite turning 75 that March.
18.
John McLean won twelve votes on the first ballot at the Republican convention; Abraham Lincoln ultimately was nominated.
19.
The most senior member of the Court at the time, John McLean began his opinion by weighing in on the debate concerning the nature of the Commerce Clause.
20.
John McLean denied that the States could exercise a power unless the federal government chose to exercise the same power, at which point state regulation would be trumped by federal action.
21.
Justice McLean cited Marie Louise v Marot, an 1835 freedom suit appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court in which Presiding Judge George Mathews, Jr.
22.
John McLean wrote the Court's opinion denying there was a common-law copyright in American law in Wheaton v Peters.
23.
John McLean became the last surviving member of the Monroe and Quincy Adams Cabinets.
24.
John McLean died in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery there.
25.
John McLean's son, Nathaniel C McLean, a Cincinnati native, was a Union general in the American Civil War.