Lewis Fields Linn (November 5, 1796 – October 3, 1843) was a physician and politician who represented his home state of Missouri in the United States Senate from 1833 to his death.
Early life
Linn was born near Louisville, Kentucky, on November 5, 1796. He received a meager academic education because of the deaths of his parents. He was raised by his older half-brother, Henry Dodge and began studying medicine in Louisville. During the War of 1812 he served as a surgeon with troops commanded by Henry Dodge, though he was still a teenager; after the war he completed his studies at Philadelphia Medical College in 1816. Linn is among the hundreds of members of Congress who were slaveowners.[1]
Career
Linn was admitted to practice as a medical doctor and subsequently relocated to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Early in his career he earned recognition for his major role in combating two cholera epidemics.
He served in the Missouri Senate in 1827. In 1832 he was appointed to the state commission which settled land claims based on grants made by the government of France prior to the Missouri Territory becoming part of the United States.