Born in Prussia, White immigrated to the United States in 1857 with his mother, who settled on a farm in Keokuk County, Iowa.

When the American Civil War began in 1861, he joined the 8th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, but as a seventeen-year-old, he was rejected on account of age.

He was mustered out in August 1865, after the war's end, and returned to Keokuk County and engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising.

[1] In 1890, White received the Democratic nomination to run against incumbent Republican Congressman John F. Lacey for the U.S. House seat in Iowa's 6th congressional district.

A protectionist measure known as the McKinley tariff had been approved by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed by a Republican president, but was extremely unpopular, especially in rural areas such as the 6th district, where it was blamed for making the agricultural economy worse.