Representative George Washington Toland

George Washington Toland (February 8, 1796 – January 30, 1869) was an American politician who served as a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district from 1837 to 1843. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry Toland of Germantown. Raised in the Philadelphia area, he attended the common schools before pursuing higher education. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1816, reflecting the classical education typical of early nineteenth-century American public figures.

After completing his collegiate studies, Toland read law and was admitted to the bar in 1819. Although legally trained, he became prominently engaged in business and civic affairs in Philadelphia rather than pursuing a traditional courtroom career. He worked in the insurance business and quickly emerged as a figure in the city’s commercial and institutional life. His early professional activities helped establish the connections and public profile that would later support his entry into state and national politics.

Toland’s first recorded public service was in local education. He served as a school director in Philadelphia from 1826 to 1830, participating in the administration of the city’s public schooling at a time when formal systems of education were still developing. In 1828 he also became a member and treasurer of the Pennsylvania Institute of the Deaf and Dumb, contributing to the governance and financial oversight of one of the state’s important charitable and educational institutions. His involvement in these roles reflected a broader interest in civic improvement and social welfare.

In addition to his civic and educational work, Toland held several significant positions in Philadelphia’s financial and commercial community. He served as a director of the Mechanic’s Bank of Philadelphia from 1831 to 1832, helping oversee one of the city’s key financial institutions during a period of expanding commerce and banking. He was also a director of the Philadelphia Board of Trade, where he participated in efforts to promote and regulate the city’s commercial interests. These roles in banking, trade, and insurance placed him at the intersection of business and public policy in the growing urban economy.

Toland entered state politics as a Democrat and served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1832 to 1833. He was then elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 1st district, serving first as a National Republican from 1834 to 1835 and then, following the shifting party alignments of the era, as a Democrat from 1835 to 1837. His service in both houses of the state legislature during a period of significant partisan realignment illustrated his adaptability within the evolving political landscape of the Jacksonian era. In these roles he participated in debates over state infrastructure, finance, and governance that were central to Pennsylvania’s development.

Building on his state legislative experience, Toland was elected as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district in the Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, and Twenty-seventh Congresses from 1837 to 1843. His three consecutive terms in Congress coincided with a significant period in American history marked by economic dislocation following the Panic of 1837, intense disputes over banking and currency policy, and the rise of the Whig Party as a principal opposition to Jacksonian Democrats. As a Whig member of Congress representing an important urban and commercial district, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the national debates over economic policy, internal improvements, and federal authority, representing the interests of his Philadelphia constituents in the broader democratic process.

After leaving Congress in 1843, Toland returned to state politics and business. He served again as a Whig member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1844, continuing his involvement in legislative affairs at the state level. In the later 1840s he remained active in the development of Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure, serving as a director of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company from 1847 to 1849. His role with the railroad placed him at the forefront of the state’s transition into the railroad age, linking his earlier commercial and legislative experience to one of the most transformative economic developments of the nineteenth century.

George Washington Toland spent his entire life closely associated with Philadelphia, where he was born, built his legal and business career, and pursued his public service. He died in Philadelphia on January 30, 1869. He was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery, a prominent burial ground for many of the city’s political, military, and business leaders, underscoring his standing within the civic and political life of Pennsylvania.