Moses Macdonald (April 8, 1815 – October 18, 1869) was an American attorney and Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Maine. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, the Maine State Senate and as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives during the 1800s.

Early life and career

Macdonald was born in Limerick, Massachusetts (now in Maine) and was the son of major General John Macdonald and Lydia Wiley Macdonald. He received an academic education and attended Phillips Academy. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1837 and began the practice of law in Biddeford, Maine in 1837.

Political career

He served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1841, 1842, and 1845. He was the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives in 1845 and served in the Maine Senate in 1847. He was the Maine State Treasurer from 1847 to 1850.

Macdonald was elected as a Democratic candidate to the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses, serving from March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855. He was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims during the Thirty-second Congress.

After leaving Congress, he was appointed collector of customs at Portland, Maine by President James Buchanan in 1857 and served until 1861. He died in Saco, Maine in 1869 at the age of 54 and was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery there.

External links

This article incorporates public domain material from . Federal government of the United States.

Political offices
Preceded byDavid Dunn17th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives 1845-1846Succeeded byEbenezer Knowlton
Preceded byJames WhiteTreasurer of Maine 1847–1849Succeeded bySamuel Cony
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byElbridge GerryMember of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st congressional district March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855Succeeded byJohn M. Wood