John Spafford Harris (December 18, 1825January 25, 1906) was an American politician for the state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and member of the Republican Party. Born to a farm family in

Truxton, New York Truxton is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2010 census. The town is named for Commodore Thomas Truxtun, a privateer in the American Revolution and one of the US Navy's first commanding officers. ...

, Harris was a delegate to the Louisiana state constitutional convention in 1868. He was a member of Louisiana State Senate in 1868 and the first Republican U.S. Senator from Louisiana, having served from 1868 to 1871. Harris was buried at Forestvale Cemetery in Helena, Montana.

Education

Harris attended the common schools, and received some college education during his time in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

Career

After the death of his mother, Harris accompanied his father to

, in 1846. Initially employed as clerk in a mercantile establishment, he worked as a merchant, real estate dealer, and banker. He eventually rose to be president of Milwaukee's Marine Bank. In the fall of 1863, traveled to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

but found it strictly blockaded by federal authorities. Consequently, he resolved to return home via New Orleans and New York. An accident happened and his boat was detained in Natchez, Mississippi, where he was induced to lease one of the largest cotton plantations in Louisiana. By the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

had become one of the biggest planters in

. He became increasingly involved in politics by organizing local freedmen into clubs and instructing them about their new political rights. As a member of the Republican Party, he took a moderate course, and was seen by the ''New Orleans Picayune'' as "one of the mildest and most temperate Republicans." Although the ''New Orleans Republican'' noted that he was an abolitionist. He was sworn in as a state senator on June 29, 1868. Nine days later, he was nominated to serve as a US senator for the short term ending in 1871. He succeeded Judah P. Benjamin who had withdrawn from the Senate previous to the war. His nomination was confirmed by both houses. He completed his term on March 3, 1871. Harris was appointed surveyor general for the state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

by President

Chester Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A ...

in 1881.

Death

Harris died in Butte, Montana on January 25, 1906, and is buried in Helena, Montana.Howard J. Jones, "Biographical Sketches of Members of the 1868 Louisiana State Senate," The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, vol. 19, no. 1 (winter, 1978), 80-82.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, John S. 1825 births 1906 deaths Republican Party Louisiana state senators Republican Party United States senators from Louisiana People from Truxton, New York 19th-century American politicians