Charles Miner facts for kids

Charles Miner (born February 1, 1780 – died October 26, 1865) was an important politician who worked hard to end slavery. He served in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from 1807 to 1808. Later, he was in the United States House of Representatives from 1825 to 1829. He was part of the Federalist Party. While in Congress, he suggested stopping the slave trade in Washington, D.C. and slowly ending slavery across the city.

Charles Miner was born in Norwich, Connecticut. His parents were Seth Miner and Anna Charleton. He went to public schools in Norwich. In 1797, he moved with his brother Asher Miner to his father's land in the Wyoming Valley. By 1802, he was living in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. There, he became the publisher of a newspaper called the Luzerne County Federalist.

Early Life and Family

Charles Miner was born on February 1, 1780, in Norwich, Connecticut. As a boy, he learned how to print and bind books. In 1799, he moved to Pennsylvania. He settled on his father's land in what is now Susquehanna County. For two years, he lived a simple life. He farmed, cut wood, and made maple sugar.

Miner later moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where his brother Asher Miner lived. The brothers took over a local newspaper, the Luzerne Federalist. Charles edited this paper for a total of thirteen years, even though its name changed sometimes.

While living in Wilkes-Barre, Miner married Letitia Wright in 1804. They had ten children together.

Political Career

Miner was an active member of the Wilkes-Barre community. He served on several city boards.

Serving Pennsylvania

In 1807, Charles Miner was elected to represent Luzerne County in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He served in this role for two years. During his time, he supported improving roads and canals. He also helped the poor and pushed for required vaccines. He worked to regulate bank currency.

Joining the U.S. Congress

In 1816, Miner moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania. He bought a newspaper there called the Chester and Delaware Federalist. In 1824, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Chester, Delaware, and Lancaster counties. He was re-elected once, serving in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses. He decided not to run for re-election in 1828.

Fighting Against Slavery

During Miner's time in Congress, slavery was still common in the Southern states. However, Northern states were starting to oppose it.

Proposals for Washington D.C.

On May 13, 1826, Miner presented his first idea against slavery. He suggested immediately ending the slave trade in the District of Columbia. He also proposed slowly ending slavery in the capital over about ten years. Miner believed that ending slavery everywhere at once was not possible. But he hoped that if Washington D.C. could end slavery, it would encourage the rest of the country to do the same. Congress ended its session before he could talk more about it. He tried again in December 1826. However, he was advised not to speak because the topic made many representatives, especially from the South, angry.

Continuing the Fight

Despite the opposition, Miner kept working for gradual abolition. In 1828, he presented a petition to the House. It was called "Memorial of the Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, praying for the gradual abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia." The document stated:

While the laws of the United States say that trading slaves from other countries is a crime, there is still a slave trade happening right here in Washington D.C. This trade is almost as shameful and even more harmful. This is not like the trade with other nations; its victims are raised among the people of this country; taught the same religion; and have similar family ties.

Miner argued that the slave trade was cruel and unfair. He believed slavery went against American and Christian values. He felt it harmed the country's morals.

Final Efforts and Impact

Miner's most important anti-slavery effort happened in January 1829. To prepare, he visited prisons and auctions. He talked to enslaved people and jail keepers. He was very upset to learn that free black men were being kidnapped and sold as slaves. Some were even imprisoned for small debts. In Washington D.C., all black people were assumed to be enslaved unless they could prove they were free. So, free men were often mistaken for runaways, arrested, and sold into slavery.

In his final speech, Miner shared the cruelty he had seen. He showed the House the harsh reality of the slave trade. Miner and his supporters also referred to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. This article gave Congress power over the District of Columbia. At the end of his speech, he offered several resolutions. These asked the House to investigate the unfairness of the slave trade. This included looking into the arrests of free men, the prison systems, and the breaking apart of enslaved families. He also asked them to consider his plan for gradual abolition. A large majority voted to look into Miner's resolutions.

Miner's resolutions won the vote, but the House never acted on his plans. Slavery in the District of Columbia was finally ended in 1862. This was long after Miner's proposal. Still, Miner's efforts helped start the early movement to end slavery. He brought the issue to Congress and began important discussions. Miner was not the first politician to challenge slavery. But he was the first to keep pushing for anti-slavery ideas for a long time.

Other Accomplishments

Miner was an early investor in anthracite coal mining in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. He promoted the coal trade years before it became a major industry. He was also a talented writer. He wrote poems and essays about morals.

One of his most famous works was a series of stories called From the Desk of Poor Robert the Scribe. He wrote these while editing the Luzerne Federalist. His essay "Who'll Turn Grindstone?" became very popular. In this essay, Miner is said to have created the phrase "to have an ax to grind." This phrase means having a secret personal reason for doing something. For example, he wrote: "When I see a man holding a fat office, sounding 'the horn on the borders,' to call the people to support the man, on whom he depends for his office, Well thinks I, no wonder the man is zealous in his cause, he evidently has a axe to grind." This means someone is pushing for something because it helps them personally.

Miner also loved history. He wrote History of Wyoming in a Series of Letters from Charles Miner, to his son William Penn Miner. This book described important events in the Wyoming Valley.

Later Life

After his second term in Congress, Miner decided not to run again. He was becoming deaf and could not fully participate in the meetings. Charles Miner died on October 26, 1865, in what is now Plains Township, Pennsylvania.