Representative Daniel Udree

Daniel Udree (August 5, 1751 – July 15, 1828) was a Democratic-Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served multiple terms in Congress between 1813 and 1825. A member of the Republican (Democratic-Republican) Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in early American history, representing the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in the House of Representatives.

Udree was born on August 5, 1751, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised in comfortable circumstances by his prosperous uncle, Jacob Winey. He attended the public schools of his community, receiving a basic education typical of the period. As a young adult, he left Philadelphia and relocated to Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he established himself as an iron merchant. His involvement in the iron trade placed him within an important regional industry and helped root him in the economic and civic life of southeastern Pennsylvania.

During the American Revolution, Udree served in the Continental forces and rose to the rank of colonel. He took part in the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, where he saw active combat and had his horse shot from under him, an incident that underscored the personal risks he faced in the struggle for independence. His military involvement continued into the early nineteenth century; during the War of 1812 he served as a major general, reflecting both his prior experience and the confidence placed in him as a militia leader at a time when the young nation again faced armed conflict.

Udree’s public career at the national level began when he was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Thirteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative John M. Hyneman. He took his seat on October 12, 1813, and served until March 3, 1815. This initial period in Congress coincided with the latter phase of the War of 1812, during which he participated in the legislative deliberations of a nation at war. He sought reelection in 1814 but was unsuccessful, temporarily interrupting his congressional service.

Udree returned to the House of Representatives several years later. He was elected to the Sixteenth Congress to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Representative Joseph Hiester and served from December 26, 1820, to March 3, 1821. In 1822, he was elected to the Eighteenth Congress, scheduled to begin on March 4, 1823. Before that regular term commenced, however, another vacancy arose when Representative Ludwig Worman died on October 17, 1822. Udree won the special election to fill Worman’s seat for the remainder of the Seventeenth Congress and was seated on December 10, 1822. He then served continuously through the close of the Seventeenth Congress on March 3, 1823, and through his full term in the Eighteenth Congress until March 3, 1825. In total, he served in the House from 1813 to 1825 across four separate terms, participating in the democratic process and contributing to national legislation during a formative era marked by postwar expansion and the evolution of party politics.

After his legislative career ended in 1825, Udree returned to private life in Pennsylvania. He resumed his work as a merchant, again engaging in the commercial pursuits that had sustained him before and between his periods of public service. Remaining in Berks County, he continued to be identified with the region’s economic and civic affairs, though he no longer held national office.

Daniel Udree died in Reading, Pennsylvania, on July 15, 1828. He was interred at Oley Cemetery in Oley, Pennsylvania. His life encompassed service as a Revolutionary War officer, a major general in the War of 1812, a merchant in the iron trade, and a Democratic-Republican representative who served Pennsylvania in the United States Congress during a critical period in the early republic.