John Morrissey
John Morrissey ( born February 12, 1831 in Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland; † May 1, 1878 in Troy, New York ) was an American politician and world boxing champion. Between 1867 and 1871 he represented the State of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Career
In 1833 John Morrissey came with his parents from his native Ireland to Troy, New York, where he attended the public schools. There he fell several times, among others, for theft and burglary with the law in conflict. That earned him a two-month prison. In 1848 he moved to New York City. Three years later, he moved briefly to California, where he was active in the betting business. At the time he first appeared as a bare- knuckle boxer in appearance. In 1852 he returned to New York. He called the former ( unofficial ) world boxing champion Yankee Sullivan to a fight out. This went over 37 rounds and ended after the disqualification Sullivan with the victory Morrissey. For the period 1853 to 1859, he is then led into the unofficial lists as World Heavyweight Champion (the official lists and competitions there was only from 1885). Morrissey went into the betting shop in New York City and Saratoga. Since 1863, he worked in the racing business. In Saratoga, he operated a casino where prominent Americans, including the future President Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur, and Cornelius Vanderbilt or Mark Twain wrong. At the height of his business career Morrissey operating 16 casinos.
Politically, he joined the Democratic Party and was supported by the connected with this company Tammany Hall. In the congressional elections of 1866 he was in the fifth electoral district of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of Nelson Taylor on March 4, 1867. After a re-election he was able to complete in Congress until March 3, 1871 two legislative sessions. Until 1869, the work of the Congress of the tensions between the Republicans and President Andrew Johnson was charged, which culminated in a narrowly failed impeachment.
In Congress, Morrissey began among others, the interests of the immigrant Irish Americans. He became increasingly dissatisfied with the prevailing especially in Tammany Hall corruption. Therefore, he turned against this organization and renounced in 1870 on another Congress candidate. In the trial of William Tweed, head of Tammany Hall, and formerly the most influential politicians of the city of New York, Morrissey testified against this, which contributed significantly to his conviction. After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, he took his previous activities on again. Since 1875 until his death he was sitting as an anti- Tammany Hall candidate in the Senate from New York. He died on 1 May 1878 in Troy and was buried there with great interest of the population and the entire State Senate.
1969 Morrissey was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.