John Covode
John Covode (
17 March,
1808 -
11 January,
1871), born in West Fairfield,
Pennsylvania, was an
American congressman and
abolitionist. After serving an apprenticeship to a blacksmith, he became involved in the
coal industry. In
1854, he was elected to
congress as an anti-Masonic
Whig, after joining
Republican Party, he was re-elected to the 35th Congress in
1857. He was a strong supporter of the Freeman's Bureau, the Civil Rights Bill, and the Reconstruction Acts. He served as chairman of the
Committee of Public Expenditures from 1857 until
1859 and the
Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds from
1867 until
1869. He died at
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.