Michael C. Kerr

For other people named Michael Kerr, see Michael Kerr (disambiguation).

Michael Crawford Kerr (March 15, 1827 – August 19, 1876) was an American lawyer and legislator who served as the first Democratic speaker of the United States House of Representatives after the Civil War.

Michael C. Kerr
28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office December 6, 1875 – August 19, 1876
Preceded by	James G. Blaine
Succeeded by	Samuel J. Randall
Leader of the House Democratic Caucus
In office December 6, 1875 – August 19, 1876
Preceded by	James Lawrence Orr
Succeeded by	Samuel J. Randall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1875 – August 19, 1876
Preceded by	William S. Holman (3rd)
Succeeded by	Nathan T. Carr (3rd)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873
Preceded by	James A. Cravens
Succeeded by	Simeon K. Wolfe
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives
In office 1856–1857
Personal details
Born	Michael Crawford Kerr March 15, 1827 Titusville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 19, 1876 (aged 49) Rockbridge County, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Louisville
Profession	Lawyer

Kerr's home in New Albany, Indiana

Early life

He was born at Titusville, Pennsylvania and educated at the Erie Academy. He graduated from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1851. He moved to New Albany, Indiana in 1852 and was a member of the State Legislature from 1856 to 1857.

Political career

He was elected to Congress in 1864 as a War Democrat, having vigorously opposed the Copperhead element in his district. He won the praise of Republican Governor Oliver P. Morton for helping suppress illegal conspiracies by Copperheads.^[1]

Kerr served in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Indiana from 1865 to 1873. In Congress he was looked upon as one of the leaders of the Democratic Party. He strongly opposed the Republican policy of Reconstruction in the Southern States. He was not re-elected in 1872.

His hard money views on financial questions did not meet with favor in his agrarian constituency, where he openly antagonized the inflationists and the Greenback element and favored the resumption of specie payments. In 1874, however, after a sharp contest he won the seat back, and on his re-entry into Congress was elected to the speakership. He presided as Speaker at only the first session of the Forty-fourth Congress and died of consumption shortly after its adjournment.

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)