Albert J. Beveridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albert J. Beveridge
Beveridge, c. 1922
United States Senator from Indiana
In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911
Preceded by	David Turpie
Succeeded by	John W. Kern
Personal details
Born	Albert Jeremiah Beveridge (1862-10-06)October 6, 1862 Highland County, Ohio, U.S.
Died	April 27, 1927(1927-04-27) (aged 64) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Other political affiliations	Progressive Party
Spouses	Katherine Langsdale ​ ​ (m. 1887; died 1900)​ Catherine Eddy ​ (m. 1907)​
Education	Sullivan High School (1881) Asbury University
Awards	Pulitzer Prize 1920
Signature

Albert Jeremiah Beveridge (born October 6, 1862 – died April 27, 1927) was an American historian and a U.S. senator from Indiana. He was a key thinker during the Progressive Era. This was a time when many people wanted to improve society. Beveridge also wrote important biographies about Chief Justice John Marshall and President Abraham Lincoln.

Early Life and Education

Albert Beveridge was born on October 6, 1862, in Highland County, Ohio. His family moved to Indiana shortly after he was born. His parents, Thomas H. and Frances Parkinson, were of English descent. Beveridge had a childhood filled with hard work. He worked hard to get an education.

He later became a law clerk in Indianapolis. In 1887, he became a lawyer in Indiana. He practiced law in Indianapolis. That same year, he married Katherine Langsdale. After Katherine passed away in 1900, Beveridge married Catherine Eddy in 1907.

Beveridge graduated from Indiana Asbury University in 1885. This school is now called DePauw University. He was known as a very good speaker. He gave speeches that supported the United States expanding its land. He also believed the federal government should have more power.

Political Career and Beliefs

Beveridge started in politics in 1884. He spoke for presidential candidate James G. Blaine. His speeches in later campaigns, especially in 1896, gained a lot of attention. In 1899, Beveridge became a U.S. Senator for the Republican Party. He served until 1911.

He supported the progressive ideas of President Theodore Roosevelt. Beveridge was the main speaker at the new Progressive Party convention in 1912. This party nominated Roosevelt for U.S. President.

Views on Expansion and Statehood

Beveridge was a strong supporter of American imperialism. This means he believed the U.S. should expand its power and influence. He supported the U.S. taking over the Philippines. He also worked with Republican leader Henry Cabot Lodge to build a stronger navy.

In 1901, Beveridge became the head of the Senate Committee on Territories. This role allowed him to support Oklahoma becoming a state. However, he stopped New Mexico and Arizona from becoming states. He felt these areas did not have enough white settlers. He also thought they had too many Hispanic and Native American people. He believed these groups were not ready for self-governance. He felt it was America's duty to bring civilization to other parts of the world.

Supporting Reforms

After being re-elected in 1905, Beveridge became known for supporting reforms. He pushed for national laws to stop child labor. He disagreed with President William Howard Taft over the Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act. This was a law about taxes on imported goods.

Beveridge also supported the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906. This law made sure meat was safe to eat. It was passed after Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle showed problems in meatpacking. He also helped pass laws for postal savings banks and railroad rules. These were part of the Mann–Elkins Act of 1910.

Later Political Life

Beveridge lost his Senate seat in 1910 to John Worth Kern. In 1912, he joined Theodore Roosevelt in forming the Progressive Party. He ran for governor of Indiana in 1912 and for senator in 1914, but lost both races.

When the Progressive Party ended, he went back to the Republican Party. He tried one more time for the Senate in 1922. He won the primary election against Harry S. New. But he lost the main election to Samuel M. Ralston. He never held office again. Beveridge also strongly criticized President Woodrow Wilson. He wanted Wilson to get more involved in the Mexican Revolution. But he did not like Wilson's idea of the League of Nations. Beveridge felt it would make America less independent.

Later in his life, Beveridge changed some of his views. He began to think the government had too much power. In 1923, he said America would be better if many government offices and rules were removed.

Historian and Author

As his political career ended, Beveridge spent his time writing. He was a member of the American Historical Association (AHA). His four-book series, The Life of John Marshall, was published from 1916 to 1919. This work won him a Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. It showed how events in John Marshall's life influenced his decisions on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Beveridge spent his last years writing a biography of Abraham Lincoln. He finished two of the four planned books before he died. These were published in 1928 as Abraham Lincoln, 1809–1858. This book showed Lincoln as a complex politician, not just a perfect hero. In 1939, the AHA created the Beveridge Award in his honor.

Meeting Leo Tolstoy

In 1901, Beveridge visited Leo Tolstoy in Russia with travel lecturer Burton Holmes. Holmes filmed Tolstoy with his camera. However, Beveridge's advisors later had the film destroyed. They worried that meeting a "radical" Russian writer might harm Beveridge's chances of becoming president.

Works by Albert J. Beveridge

• "The March of the Flag" (1898)
• "In Support of an American Empire" (1900)
• "The Russian Advance" (1903)
• The Young Man and the World (1905) at Project Gutenberg.
• The Life of John Marshall, in 4 volumes (1919), Volume I, Volume II , Volume III and Volume IV at Internet Archive.
• The Meaning of the Times and other Speeches (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1909) at Open Library.
• Americans of Today and Tomorrow (1908)
• Pass Prosperity Around (1912)
• What is Back of the War? (Indianaopolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1916) at Internet Archive.
• Beveridge, Albert J. (December 13, 1925). "Bowers Sustains Reputation, Says Beveridge". Indianapolis Star: pp. 41–43 (Section 4, pp. 1–3) Part 2, Part 3. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33420213/beveridge_review_of_bowers_part_1/.
• Abraham Lincoln 1809–1858, 2 vols. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin) (1928)

See also

In Spanish: Albert J. Beveridge para niños