Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/26

 MUHLENHEKG

MUHLENBERG

tite election of delegate to the Continental con- gress, where he repieseuteJ the Germans in Penn- sylvania, 1778-80. He was subsequently elected to the state legislature, when he served two terms as speaker. He was a representative in the

CO/NJ<iRE:SS HALU

Philadelphia, PA. «

1774-1783. I

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lst-4th congresses, 1789-97, and was speaker of the liouse during the 1st and 3rd congresses. He wiis chairman of the committee of tiie whole in considering the Jay treaty, and his casting vote carried the treaty into effect. He was president of the council of censors of Pennsylvania; state treasurer; president of the state convention that ratified tiie Federal constitution, and register of the Pennsylvania land office, 1797-1801. He died at Lancaster. Pa. June. 4, ISOl.

MUHLENBERG, Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst, botanist, was born in New Providence, Pa., Nov, 17, 17.>j; son of the Rev. Henrj' Melchior and Anna Mary (Weiser) Muhlenberg. He attended tiie scliools of Montgomery county until 17G1, when he removed with liis parents to Phila- delphia. In 17G3 he was sent with his two elder brothers to Halle, Germany, where he studied theology, returning to Philadelphia in 1770. He was onlained to the Lutheran ministry and preached in New Jersey, 1770-73, and was pastor of a Lutlieran churcli in Pliiladelphia, 1774-79, During the Revolutionary war he supported the patriot cause, was twice obliged to flee into the country to escape capture and lost a large part of his estate through loaning money to the govern- ment. While in the country he took up the study of botany for amusement, and after the war continued the study in Philadelphia. In July, 1875, he communicated to the American Philoso- phical society, an outline manuscrii)t calendar of flowers. He discovered and cl.ussificd various plants, which were named in his honor, and corre- «|X)nded with and visited the highe-st authorities on the subject. He received from the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, the honorary degree of A.M., in 1780 and that of D.D. in 1784. He was a member of the American Philosophical society and of many foreign scientific bodies. He was niflrried to Catherine, daughter of Philip Hall,

and Henry Augustus (q.v.) was their son. He is the author of: Catalogus Plantartuii Americce Septentrionalis (1813); Reduction of all the Genera of Plants contained in the Catologus Plantarum of Muhlenberg to the Natural Fa7n- ilics of De Jussicus System (1815); Descriptio ub- crior Graniinuin et Phmtarium Cahnnariarum America- Sei)tentrionalis Indignarum et Circurum (1H17). He di(Ml in Lancaster Pa., May, 23, 1815.

MUHLENBERG, Henry Augustus, clergy- man, was l)orii in Lancaster, Pa., ^lay 13, 1782; son of Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst and Catherine (Hall) Muidenberg. He was educated under his father, studied theology under the Rev. Dr. Kunze in New York and was ordained to the Lutheran ministry in 1802. He was pastor of Trinity Lutheran church at Reading, Pa., 1802-28, when he was compelled to retire on ac- count of ill health. He was president of the Lutheran ministerium of Pennsylvania, and was a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania in the 21st-25th congresses, 1829-38, resigning Feb. 9, 1838. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 1835, and in 1838 declined the ofl[ice of the secretary of the navy as successor to Malilon Dickinson, and the mission to Russia as successor to George M. Dallas. He accepted the mission to Austria, be- ing the first U.S. minister accredited to that government, serving 1838-40, and was relieved at his own request, Sept. 18, 1840. He was the Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsyl- vania in 1844, but died before the election. He received the degree D.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1824. He was married to Rebec- ca, daughter of Gov. Joseph Hiester of Pennsyl- vania. He died in Reading, Pa.. Aug. 11, 1844.

MUHLENBERG, Henry Melchior, pioneer Lutheran, was born in Einbeck, Hanover, Ger- many, Sept. 6, 1711; son of Nicholaus Melchior and Anna Maria Muhlenberg, persons of prominent social standing. He at- tended the schools of Einbeck, and in 1735 entered the Univers- ity of Gottingen, hav- ing been voted a yearly stipend for his collegiate education by the council of his native town. In 1736 he induced several other students to join with him in giving instruction to neg- lected children, which movement grew into an institution. He studied theology at Gottingen

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