John McLean (Illinois politician)

John McLean ( born February 4, 1791 Guilford County, North Carolina, † October 14, 1830 in Shawneetown, Illinois ) was an American politician. He represented the state of Illinois in both chambers of Congress.

Life

McLean was born in 1791 in North Carolina, but moved in 1795 with his parents to Logan County, Kentucky. In 1815 he moved to the newly established Illinois Territory and soon after studied law. After his studies, he was admitted by the Bar Association and was henceforth active in Shawneetown in Gallatin County. After Illinois joined the United States, he was elected to the Democratic- Republican Party in the House of Representatives of the 15th Congress, where he served from December 3, 1818 to March 3, 1819. He missed the re-election in 1818 and could not get into parliament and in the follow elections in 1820 and 1822. Instead, he was elected in the years 1820, 1826 and 1828 in the House of Representatives of Illinois, where he was temporarily also the chairman.

As in 1824, Ninian Edwards retired from the Senate of the United States, McLean was nachgewählt for him. He served on the Senate of 23 November 1824 to 3 March 1825. He had not let up for re-election and instead introduced further his law firm. Only at the next Senate election, this time to that of the second class, he was again put up for the Jacksonians. He was also elected, and the Senate was again on 4 March 1829 to his death on 14 October 1830. John McLean was buried at the Westwood Cemetery near Shawneetown.

McLean County was named after him.