CINCINNATI

Cincinnati lawyer Salmon P. Chase was, among other things, one of the most prolific politicians of all time in U.S. history.  I'll concentrate on the political career of the this amazing man, today.  You wont find another person with a record like this.

Chase served on Cincinnati's City Council in 1840 as a member of the Whig Party.  He then became  the head of the Liberty Party in Ohio.  He lead the effort to expand the Liberty party into the Free Soil Party.   He drafted the platform for this party and was instrumental in the nomination of Martin Van Buren in his bid for a second term.  Van Buren became the head of the Free Soil Party and Mr. Chase was elected to the U.S. Senate. 

While a Senator, Chase helped form the Republican Party out of former Whig and American Party members.  After his stint in the Senate, he returned home and became Governor of the State of Ohio. 

At the 1860 Republican Convention, he ran for nomination as President of the United States.  He lost in a multi-ballot adventure to Abraham Lincoln.  He was elected back to the U.S. Senate on the Republican ticket and resigned shortly after when he was named Secretary of the Treasury by Lincoln. 

Mr.Chase resigned as Treasury Secretary in Lincoln's cabinet with the intention of running for President again. When Lincoln opted for a second term, Abe named Chase to the Supreme Court and he became Chief Justice.  He served on the highest court in the land until his death.

So there you have it;  city council, party leader, platform writer, U.S. Senator, State Governor, Treasury Secretary, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.   Not many men, if any, have ever served in all three branches of the Federal Government as well as local and state government.  Salmon P. Chase was one.
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