hiː wʌz mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə stˈeɪt kˌɑːnstɪtˈuːʃənəl kənvˈɛnʃənz ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv ænd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː, ænd hˈɛld sˈɛvɹəl lˈoʊkəl ˈɑːfɪsᵻz bᵻfˌoːɹ bˌiːɪŋ ᵻlˈɛktᵻd tə ðə twˈɛntinˈaɪnθ ænd θˈɜːɾiəθ kˈɑːŋɡɹəsᵻz, sˈɜːvɪŋ fɹʌm mˈɑːɹtʃ fˈoːɹ, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv tə mˈɑːɹtʃ θɹˈiː, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi nˈaɪn.
He was member of the State constitutional conventions in 1845 and 1852, and held several local offices before being elected to the  Twenty-ninth and  Thirtieth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849).