John Bell
Anna S & Jariah D
Description
Born on Tennessee, Bell served on the state legislature for a very short time. He was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827. He started off as a democrat, but converted to a Whig until the party died out. When it did, he helped found the Constitutional Union Party with other former Whigs. In 1847 he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He tended to have a moderate opinion on slavery, although there was extreme controversy about the topic. In 1854 he did not support the admission of Kansas under the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution, and was denounced in the South. He opposed secession in the war, but also did not believe that Lincoln should force the Union to be preserved. He was also nominated in the 1860 election on the Constitutional Union Party ticket. Throughout his career he tended to have a moderate opinion on major controversial issues.
Significance
Sources
"John Bell." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
"John Bell." Photos/Illustrations. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.