Representative Anthony Lausett Knapp

Anthony Lausett Knapp (June 14, 1828 – May 24, 1881) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Illinois who served in the House of Representatives from 1861 to 1865 during the American Civil War. He was the brother of Robert McCarty Knapp, who also later served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Over the course of two terms in Congress, Anthony Lausett Knapp contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his Illinois constituents at a time of profound national crisis.

Knapp was born in Middletown, Orange County, New York, on June 14, 1828. In 1839 he moved with his parents to Illinois, where the family settled in Jerseyville, then a growing community in Jersey County. Raised in the developing frontier environment of Illinois, he completed his preparatory studies locally. His early life in Jerseyville, a small but important town in southwestern Illinois, helped shape his familiarity with the concerns of rural and small-town residents that would later inform his political career.

After completing his preliminary education, Knapp studied law and prepared for admission to the bar. He was admitted to the bar in Illinois and commenced the practice of law in Jerseyville. As a young attorney, he built a professional reputation in the region, combining legal practice with growing involvement in Democratic Party politics. His legal work and local prominence provided a foundation for his entry into public office and helped establish him as a figure of influence in his community.

Knapp’s formal political career began at the state level. He was elected to the Illinois Senate and served as a member of that body from 1859 to 1861. His tenure in the state senate coincided with the escalating sectional tensions that preceded the Civil War, and he participated in legislative deliberations as Illinois, the home state of Abraham Lincoln, became increasingly central to national political developments. His service in the Illinois Senate enhanced his visibility within the Democratic Party and prepared him for higher office.

Anthony Lausett Knapp entered national politics when he was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative John A. McClernand. He took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on December 12, 1861. Representing Illinois during the Civil War, Knapp participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of Congress at a time when issues of union, war powers, civil liberties, and reconstruction of the seceded states dominated the national agenda. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress and served continuously from December 12, 1861, to March 3, 1865. Throughout his two terms, he served as a Democratic voice from a key Union state, reflecting the perspectives of his constituents during a period of intense political and military conflict. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1864.

After leaving Congress at the conclusion of his second term, Knapp resumed his legal career. In 1865 he moved to Chicago, Illinois, which was rapidly emerging as a major commercial and transportation center in the postwar era. Two years later, in 1867, he relocated to Springfield, Illinois, the state capital, where he continued the practice of law. In Springfield he remained engaged in professional life, drawing on his experience as a state legislator and former member of Congress while practicing before the courts and maintaining his connections within Illinois political and legal circles.

Anthony Lausett Knapp died in Springfield, Illinois, on May 24, 1881. He was originally interred in Springfield Cemetery. Subsequently, his remains were reinterred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville, returning him to the community where he had grown up, begun his legal career, and launched his public life. His career spanned local, state, and national service, and his congressional tenure placed him among the Illinois Democrats who served in the House of Representatives during the Civil War era.