Albert J. Beveridge
| Albert J. Beveridge | |
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United States Senator from Indiana |
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In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911 |
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| Preceded by | David Turpie |
| Succeeded by | John W. Kern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Albert Jeremiah Beveridge October 6, 1862 Highland County, Ohio |
| Died | April 27, 1927 (aged 64) Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations |
Progressive Party |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Eddy Beveridge |
| Alma mater | Asbury University |
| Religion | Christian |
Albert Jeremiah Beveridge (October 6, 1862 – April 27, 1927) was an American historian and US senator from Indiana. He was an intellectual leader of the Progressive Era and a biographer of Chief Justice John Marshall and President Abraham Lincoln.
He was born on October 6, 1862 in Highland County, Ohio; his parents moved to Indiana soon after his birth. Both of his parents were of English descent. His childhood was one of hard work and labor. Securing an education with difficulty, he eventually became a law clerk in Indianapolis. He was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1887 and practiced law in Indianapolis.
Beveridge graduated from Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in 1885, with a Ph.B. degree. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He was known as a compelling orator, delivering speeches supporting territorial expansion by the US and increasing the power of the federal government.
Beveridge entered politics in 1884 by speaking on behalf of presidential candidate James G. Blaine and was prominent in later campaigns, particularly is that of 1896, when his speeches attracted general attention. In 1899, Beveridge was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Republican and served until 1911. He supported Theodore Roosevelt's progressive views and was the keynote speaker at the new Progressive Party convention which nominated Roosevelt for U.S. President in 1912.
Beveridge is known as one of the great American imperialists. He supported the annexation of the Philippines and along with Republican leader Henry Cabot Lodge he campaigned for the construction of a new navy. In addition, in 1901, Beveridge became chair of the Senate Committee on Territories. This allowed him to sponsor the annexation of Oklahoma in 1906. However, he blocked statehood for New Mexico and Arizona because the population of the territories were too sparse and contained a large population of Hispanics and Native Americans. After Beveridge's re-election in 1905 to a second term, he became identified with the reform-minded faction of the GOP. He championed national child labor legislation, broke with President William Howard Taft over the Payne-Aldrich tariff, and sponsored the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906, adopted in the wake of the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Furthermore, Beveridge joined insurgents in supporting postal savings bank legislation and railroad regulations with the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910.
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