He served as delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1847 and 1862, and was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1851–52.

In 1856, he held a joint debate with Abraham Lincoln in Shelbyville, Illinois.

He served as justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois from 1870 to 1873, when he resigned.

He served as president of the Illinois State Bar Association for four terms.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress