, ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁to ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁during ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁President ▁Mill ard ▁F ill more , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Represent ative ▁from ▁ ▁Maryland ' s ▁ 4 th ▁con gression al ▁district , ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁government ' s ▁study , ▁ad option ▁and ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁te legraph . ▁A ▁lawyer ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁lo bb y ist ▁for ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁Ohio ▁Rail road , ▁Kennedy ▁also ▁served ▁several ▁different ▁terms ▁in ▁the ▁Maryland ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁and ▁became ▁its ▁Spe aker ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁Kennedy ▁later ▁helped ▁lead ▁the ▁effort ▁to ▁end ▁sla very ▁in ▁Maryland , ▁which , ▁as ▁a ▁non - Conf eder ate ▁state , ▁was ▁not ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation ▁and ▁required ▁a ▁state ▁law ▁to ▁free ▁slaves ▁within ▁its ▁borders ▁and ▁to ▁out law ▁the ▁further ance ▁of ▁the ▁practice . ▁ ▁Kennedy ▁also ▁advoc ated ▁religious ▁toler ance , ▁and ▁further ed ▁studies ▁of ▁Maryland ▁history . ▁He ▁helped ▁preserve ▁or ▁found ▁Historic ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁City ▁( site ▁of ▁the ▁colonial ▁found ing ▁of ▁Maryland ▁and ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁religious ▁freedom ▁in ▁America ), ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁College ▁of ▁Maryland ▁( then ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁Fem ale ▁sem inary ), ▁the ▁Pe ab ody ▁Library ▁( now ▁a ▁part ▁of