James Harlan

James Harlan (August 26 1820 – October 5 1899) was an American lawyer and public servant who represented Iowa in the United States Senate, served as Secretary of the Interior during President Andrew Johnson’s administration, and later held a federal judicial appointment. His career spanned education, law, legislative leadership, executive oversight of natural resources and Indian affairs, and judiciary responsibilities, leaving a legacy that includes historic residences, a hotel, and commemorations in public spaces.

Early life and career

James Harlan was born on August 26 1820 in Clark County, Illinois. He grew up in Indiana under the care of his parents, Silas Harlan (1792–1868) and Mary Connolly Harlan (1796–1896). After completing local schooling, he entered higher education at Indiana Asbury University—now DePauw University—and graduated in 1845. The same year, he relocated to Iowa City, where he served as Superintendent of Schools while simultaneously studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1850 and began practicing in the state.

His early professional life also involved academic leadership; from 1853 to 1855 he held the position of president at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Politically, Harlan joined the Whig Party and became active in state affairs. In 1850 he declined a nomination for Governor of Iowa offered by his party.

In 1855, the Iowa legislature elected Harlan to the United States Senate as a Free Soil candidate. The Senate later declared the seat vacant due to irregularities in that election; Harlan was re‑elected and seated as a Republican, serving until 1865. During this period he participated as a delegate at the Peace Conference of 1861, which sought to prevent the Civil War.

After his first senatorial term, Harlan returned briefly to private life before being appointed by President Andrew Johnson as Secretary of the Interior in 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He served in that cabinet position until 1866 and was confirmed by the Senate.

Cabinet tenure

As Secretary of the Interior, Harlan announced an intention to “clean house” within the department. In late May 1865 he requested a report listing employees who had either expressed disloyal sentiments since Fort Sumter, associated with known disloyal individuals, performed inefficiently, or otherwise disregarded decorum and propriety. The resulting list led to the dismissal of several incumbents.

One notable action was the removal of Walt Whitman, then a clerk in the department. Harlan found a copy of Whitman’s *Leaves of Grass* on his desk and deemed it morally offensive. Consequently, Whitman received a dismissal notice on June 30 1865. In later years, Harlan defended this decision by stating that Whitman was dismissed solely because his services were no longer required.

Harlan also served as a member of the Southern Treaty Commission, which renegotiated treaties with Indian tribes that had aligned with the Confederacy, such as the Cherokee and Choctaw. The new agreements required those tribes to emancipate their slaves and offer citizenship within the tribe to freedmen who chose to remain; otherwise, freedmen would become United States citizens.

His tenure ended in 1866 when he resigned after disagreeing with President Johnson’s policies. He was succeeded by a different Secretary of the Interior.

Legacy

After leaving office, Harlan returned to Iowa and resumed his legal practice. In 1867 he was elected again to the Senate by the state legislature, serving until January 1873. During this second term he chaired several committees, including Public Lands; District of Columbia; Education; and Indian Affairs. He was also the only former Johnson cabinet member who voted to convict President Johnson during the impeachment trial.

Harlan’s later years were marked by a brief judicial appointment; from 1882 to 1886 he served as presiding judge for the Court of Commissioners that handled cases related to the Alabama claims, appointed by President Chester A. Arthur.

He married Ann Eliza Peck on November 5 1845. Together they had several children, including Mary Eunice Harlan, who married Robert Todd Lincoln in 1868. James and Ann’s residence in Mount Pleasant became known as the Harlan‑Lincoln House; it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operates as a house museum displaying artifacts from both families.

The hotel that Harlan converted from his former home—the Harlan House Hotel—also holds a place on the National Register. In addition, a statue of Harlan once stood in the United States Capitol’s Hall of Columns until it was replaced in 2014; the sculpture is now displayed at Iowa Wesleyan College. The city of Harlan in Shelby County, Iowa, bears his name.

James Harlan died on October 5 1899 at his hotel in Mount Pleasant, where he had made his residence in the early 1890s. His death marked the end of a career that spanned education, law, legislative leadership, executive administration of natural resources and Indian affairs, and federal judiciary service.