Thompson Campbell (c. 1811 – December 6, 1868) was an American businessman and lawyer who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1851 to 1853.

Thompson Campbell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 6th district
In office
March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853
Preceded byEdward Dickinson Baker
Succeeded byRichard Yates
9th Secretary of State of Illinois
In office
1843–1846
GovernorThomas Ford
Preceded byLyman Trumbull
Succeeded byHorace S. Cooley
Personal details
Bornc. 1811
Ireland
DiedDecember 6, 1868(1868-12-06) (aged 56–57)
San Francisco, California
Resting placeLaurel Hill Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic

Life

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Born in Ireland, Campbell immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He attended public schools, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Galena, Illinois, and engaged in mining.

Political career

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Campbell served as the Illinois Secretary of State from 1843 until his resignation in 1846. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1847.

He was elected as a Democrat to the 32nd Congress in 1850, and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1852.

He was a delegate at the 1852 Democratic National Convention and was appointed United States land commissioner for California by President Pierce in 1853 and served until he resigned in 1855. At the 1860 Democratic National Convention, he served as a delegate in Charleston, North Carolina and became an elector at large on the Breckinridge ticket.

During the Civil War, he served in the California State Assembly as a member of the Union Party and was a delegate to the 1864 Republican National Convention.

Death

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He died in San Francisco, California on December 6, 1868, and is interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

References

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  • United States Congress. "Thompson Campbell (id: C000102)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Political offices
Preceded by Illinois Secretary of State
1843–1846
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by United States Representative for the 6th Congressional District of Illinois
1851–1853
Succeeded by
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  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress