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John McLean (born March 11, 1785, Morris county, New Jersey, U.S.—died April 4, 1861, Cincinnati, Ohio) was a cabinet member and U.S. Supreme Court justice (1829–61) whose most famous opinion was his dissent in the Dred Scott decision (1857). He was also perhaps the most indefatigable seeker of the presidency in U.S. history; although he was never nominated, he made himself “available” in all eight campaigns from 1832 through 1860. After two terms in the...