John Bingham

John Bingham
source
Name	John Bingham
Caption	John Bingham, c. 1870
Office	United States Ambassador to Japan
Term start	1873
Term end	1885
President	Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur
Predecessor	Charles E. DeLong
Successor	Richard B. Hubbard
Office1	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio
Term start1	1855
Term end1	1863
Predecessor1	Eben Newton
Successor1	Wells A. Hutchins
Constituency1	21st district (1855–1863)
Term start2	1865
Term end2	1873
Predecessor2	Robert H. Nugen
Successor2	Lorenzo Danford
Constituency2	16th district (1865–1873)
Birth date	January 21, 1815
Birth place	Mercer, Pennsylvania
Death date	March 19, 1900 (aged 85)
Death place	Cadiz, Ohio
Party	Opposition (1855), Republican (1855–1900)
Spouse	Amanda Bingham
Alma mater	Franklin College
Profession	Lawyer, Politician, Diplomat

John Bingham was a prominent American politician, lawyer, and diplomat who served as a United States Representative from Ohio and as the United States Ambassador to Japan. A leading Radical Republican during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, he is best known as the principal author of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law and due process to all citizens. His legal and legislative work fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the federal government and the states, embedding the principles of the Declaration of Independence into the Constitution. Following his congressional career, he served for twelve years as Minister to Japan, playing a key role in modernizing U.S.-Japanese relations.

Early life and education

John Bingham was born in Mercer, Pennsylvania, and was orphaned at a young age. He moved to Cadiz, Ohio, where he was apprenticed to a printer before pursuing higher education. He graduated from Franklin College in New Athens, Ohio, and subsequently studied law, being admitted to the Ohio bar in 1840. He established a successful legal practice in Cadiz, in Harrison County, Ohio, and served as the county's prosecuting attorney, which launched his career in public service and politics.

Political career

Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1854 as a member of the Opposition Party, Bingham quickly aligned with the nascent Republican Party. A staunch opponent of the expansion of slavery, he supported the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. During the American Civil War, he served as a judge advocate in the Union Army, prosecuting individuals involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln. His oratory skills and legal acumen made him a significant figure in the United States Congress, where he served on the influential House Judiciary Committee.

Role in the Fourteenth Amendment

Appointed to the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, Bingham was the primary architect of the critical first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. His drafting was intended to nationalize the protections of the Bill of Rights and overturn the ''Dred Scott'' decision by defining national citizenship. The amendment's clauses on privileges or immunities, due process, and equal protection were designed to empower the federal government to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans from infringement by state governments. He also played a central role as one of the House managers prosecuting the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.

Later congressional service

After a brief electoral defeat, Bingham returned to the House in 1865, where he continued to be a leading voice for Radical Reconstruction. He helped draft the Reconstruction Acts and supported legislation to enforce civil rights in the former Confederacy. His later terms were marked by his ongoing defense of the Fourteenth Amendment and his work on the Judiciary Committee, where he dealt with issues ranging from congressional apportionment to the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment.

Post-congressional career and death

In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Bingham as the U.S. Minister to Japan. His twelve-year tenure in Tokyo was the longest of any American envoy to Japan during the 19th century, spanning the administrations of Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur. He worked to strengthen the 1878 Treaty and navigated complex issues like extraterritoriality, aiding Japan's integration into the international community. Upon returning to the United States, he retired to Cadiz, Ohio, where he died in 1900. He is interred at Cadiz Union Cemetery.

Category:1815 births Category:1900 deaths Category:American diplomats Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Category:Radical Republicans Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Japan