Charles M. Harris
American politician, Illinois (1821–1896)
Charles Murray Harris (April 10, 1821 – September 20, 1896) was a U.S. representative from Illinois. Born in Munfordville, Kentucky, Harris attended the common schools. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar. He moved to Illinois and located in Oquawka, Illinois, where he commenced the practice of his profession. Harris was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1864 to the Thirty-ninth Congress. He died in Chicago, Illinois, September 20, 1896. He was interred in Oquawka, Illinois.
External links
Charles M. Harris at Find a Grave
United States Congress.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Charles M. Harris” is american politician, Illinois (1821–1896). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Charles, Harris and American, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “american politician, Illinois (1821–1896)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4588749. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1821, 1896, 1863 and 1865.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Charles M. Harris”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Charles M. Harris primary sources, Charles M. Harris archive and Charles research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Charles M. Harris”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Charles M. Harris” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.