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George H. Yeaman

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George Helm Yeaman
U.S. Ambassador to Denmark
In office
November 20, 1865 – November 7, 1870
PresidentAndrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded bySamuel J. Kirkwood
Succeeded byChristopher Columbus Andrews
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 2nd district
In office
December 1, 1862 – March 4, 1865
Preceded byJames S. Jackson
Succeeded byBurwell C. Ritter
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office
1861
Personal details
Born(1829-11-01)November 1, 1829
Hardin County, Kentucky, US
DiedFebruary 23, 1908(1908-02-23) (aged 78)
Jersey City, New Jersey, US
Political partyUnion Democratic

George Helm Yeaman (November 1, 1829 – February 23, 1908) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky from 1862 until 1865, and as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from 1865 to 1870.

Early life and education

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Yeaman was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, the son of Lucretia Sneed (Helm) and Steven Minor Yeaman. Yeaman completed preparatory studies and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1852 and commenced practice in Owensboro, Kentucky. He served as judge of Daviess County in 1854, and served as member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1861.

Career

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Yeaman was elected as a Unionist to the Thirty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James S. Jackson. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress and served from December 1, 1862, to March 3, 1865. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1864 to the Thirty-ninth Congress. He provided a critical vote for passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery through the US House of Representatives.[1][2]

Yeaman served as the United States Minister to Denmark from 1865 to 1870. He resigned in 1870 and settled in New York City. He then served as a lecturer on constitutional law at Columbia College. He served as president of the Medico-Legal Society of New York.

Yeaman died in Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 23, 1908. He was interred in Hillside Cemetery, Madison, New Jersey.

Yeaman was a slave owner.[3]

In film

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In the 2012 film, Lincoln, Yeaman was played by Michael Stuhlbarg.

References

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  1. ^ Eblen, Tom (January 20, 2013). "In 'Lincoln,' forgotten Kentucky congressman plays a pivotal role". Lexington Herald-Leader. Kentucky.com. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  2. ^ Craig, Berry (January 29, 2015). "How four Kentucky congressmen helped end slavery". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Weil, Julie Zauzmer; Blanco, Adrian; Dominguez, Leo. "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 2nd congressional district
1862 – 1865 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Denmark
1865–1870 		Succeeded by

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

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