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John McKinley
John McKinley
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
	In office; January 9, 1838 – July 19, 1852
Nominated by	Martin Van Buren
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	John Archibald Campbell
United States Senator; from Alabama
	In office; March 4, 1837 – April 22, 1837
Preceded by	Gabriel Moore
Succeeded by	Clement Clay
	In office; November 27, 1826 – March 3, 1831
Preceded by	Israel Pickens
Succeeded by	Gabriel Moore
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Alabama's 2nd district
	In office; March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835
Preceded by	Samuel Mardis
Succeeded by	Joshua Martin
Personal details
Born	May 1, 1780; Culpeper County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	July 19, 1852 (aged 72); Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Resting place	Cave Hill Cemetery; Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican (c. 1815–1825); Jacksonian/Democratic (1826–1852)
Other political; affiliations	Federalist (before 1815)

John McKinley (May 1, 1780 – July 19, 1852) was a United States Senator from the state of Alabama and an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Early life

McKinley was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, on May 1, 1780, to Andrew McKinley and Mary (Logan) McKinley (sister of Benjamin Logan). His family moved to Kentucky in 1783.^[2] There, he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1800, practicing in Frankfort and in Louisville.^[3] During the War of 1812, he was actively involved in military affairs and wrote to President James Madison expressing his desire to serve and requesting a major's commission, but he did not receive a commission.^[4]^[5] In 1818, he moved to Alabama. He established legal practice in Huntsville, and also actively engaged in land speculation.^[6]

Political career

McKinley was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in August 1820.^[6] the next year he moved his family from Huntsville to Florence, and so was ineligible for re-election.^[7]

When failing health forced John Williams Walker to resign from the United States Senate in 1822, Mckinley was the favored candidate in the special election to fill the vacancy, but lost to William Kelly by a one-vote margin.^[8]

November 27, 1826, he was elected as a Jacksonian to finish the unexpired term of Senator Henry H. Chambers, who died in office.^[9] When he sought re-election in 1830, he lost to Gabriel Moore.^[6]

During the 1830s, McKinley was twice elected to the Alabama House, in 1831 and 1836. In between he served one term in the United States House of Representatives, during the 1833–35 23rd Congress.^[3] There he was a champion of President Andrew Jackson's political agenda.^[10] He also was a Presidential Elector in the 1836 presidential election, casting his vote for Martin Van Buren.^[6] McKinley was again elected to the U.S. Senate in 1836,^[10] this time easily defeating Gabriel Moore.^[6] He did not remain in office long however, as he resigned in April 1837, to take a seat on the United States Supreme Court.

Supreme Court service

The number of seats on the Supreme Court was expanded from seven to nine in March 1837, as a result of the Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act.^[11] This allowed President Jackson the opportunity to appoint two new associate justices, which he did on March 3, 1837, his last full day in office. The newly seated Senate of the 25th Congress confirmed both nominees; but one, William Smith, subsequently declined to serve.^[12]

President Martin Van Buren offered McKinley a recess appointment to the vacant seat on April 22, 1837, and later formally nominated him to for it on September 18, 1837. McKinley was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 25, 1837, by a voice vote.^[13]

McKinley was assigned to the ninth circuit, which encompassed the states of: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.^[6]

During his 14 years on the Court, McKinley wrote 22 opinions, several of which were dissenting opinions in the interest of preserving States' rights.^[6]

Noteworthy opinions include: Bank of Augusta v. Earle (1839); Groves v. Slaughter (1841); Pollard v. Hagan (1845) and Passenger Cases (1849).^[6]^[14]

Personal life

McKinley was married twice. In 1814, he married Juliana Bryan (d. 1822).^[15] They had three children: Elizabeth, Andrew and Mary.^[16] In 1824, he married Elizabeth Armistead (d. 1891). They had no children.^[17]

In 1821, McKinley was appointed to serve on the original board of trustees for the University of Alabama and helped plan the campus design and curriculum.^[7] He was also a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church of Florence, Alabama,^[6] where he was elected as an elder in 1826.^[18]

McKinley owned twelve slaves at the time of the 1850 census.^[19]

McKinley moved his family to Louisville, Kentucky soon after his appointment to the Supreme Court. He later died there on July 19, 1852, at the age of 72,^[6] and is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

The community of McKinley, Alabama is named in his honor.^[20]

The World War II Liberty ship SS John McKinley was named in his honor.^[21]

References

^ Brown 2012, pp. 27–28.
^ Brown 2012, pp. 16–18.
^ ^a ^b "John McKinley, 1838-1852". Washington, D.C.: Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ "Founders Online: To James Madison from John McKinley, 27 March 1812". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
^ "Founders Online: To James Madison from John McKinley, 10 June 1812". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Saunders Jr., Robert (December 13, 2017). "John McKinley". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Brown 2012, p. 51.
^ Brown 2012, p. 55.
^ Brown 2012, p.71.
^ ^a ^b Brown 2012, p. 11.
^ "Landmark Legislation: Eighth and Ninth Circuits". Washington, D.C.: Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ "Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present)". Washington, D.C.: Office of the Secretary, United States Senate. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ McMillion, Barry J. (January 28, 2022). Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 to 2020: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ "Mckinley, John". Biographical Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court, 346 (Melvin I. Urofsky ed., 2006). Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^ Brown 2012, p. 27.
^ Brown 2012, p. 53.
^ Brown 2012, pp. 56–57.
^ Brown 2012, p. 52.
^ John McKinley, United States census, 1850; Louisville Ward 7, Jefferson, Kentucky;.
^ Marengo County Heritage Book Committee (2000). The heritage of Marengo County, Alabama. Clanton, Alabama: Heritage Publishing Consultants. p. 9. ISBN 1-891647-58-X.
^ Williams, Greg H. (2014). The Liberty Ships of World War II: A Record of the 2,710 Vessels and Their Builders, Operators and Namesakes, with a History of the Jeremiah O'Brien. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476617541. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2017.

Brown, Steven P. (2012). John McKinley and the Antebellum Supreme Court: Circuit Riding in the Old Southwest. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817317713. Retrieved February 17, 2022.

External links

John McKinley at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
United States Congress. "John McKinley (id: M000519)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
John McKinley at Find a Grave
John McKinley, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Samuel Mardis	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835	Succeeded by Joshua Martin
U.S. Senate
Preceded by Israel Pickens	U.S. senator (Class 3) from Alabama 1826–1831 Served alongside: William King	Succeeded by Gabriel Moore
Preceded by Gabriel Moore	U.S. senator (Class 3) from Alabama 1837 Served alongside: William King	Succeeded by Clement Clay
Legal offices
New seat	Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States 1838–1852	Succeeded by John Campbell