Isaac P. Christiancy
Encyclopedia
Isaac Peckham Christiancy (March 12, 1812 September 8, 1890) was Chief Justice of the Michigan State Supreme Court
and U.S. Senator from the state
of Michigan
.
Christiancy was born near Johnstown, New York
in what is now Bleecker, New York
to parents of humble means. His grandfather, Isaac Peckham, was one of the first pioneers in Caroga, New York
, settling in the area as early as 1783. Christiancy attended the common schools and the Johnstown and Ovid Academies. After his father died when he was 13, he also had to support his family. He taught school and studied law. In 1836, Christiancy was admitted to the bar
after moving to Monroe, Michigan
, where he obtained a clerkship in a Federal land office. He married Elizabeth E. McClosky on November 16, 1839.
He was prosecuting attorney for Monroe County, Michigan
from 1841 to 1846. In 1848 he was a delegate to the Free Soil Party
convention in Buffalo, New York
, having left the Democratic Party
over the question of slavery.
He was a member of the Michigan State Senate from 1850 to 1852 and an unsuccessful Free Soil Party candidate for Governor in 1852. He helped to organize the Republican Party
in Jackson, Michigan
in 1854. He purchased the Monroe Commercial in 1857 and became its editor. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in that year.
Pursuant to the new state constitution adopted in 1850, the Michigan Legislature created a permanent State Supreme Court in 1857. Christiancy was elected as an associate judge of this first permanent Michigan Supreme Court
. He was reelected twice and served until February 27, 1875, when he resigned to take the office of U.S. Senator. He served as Chief Justice from 1872 to 1874. Christiancy is known as one of the "Big Four" of Michigan judicial history for his service while on the court.
He was elected as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate in 1874, defeating the incumbent Radical Republican Zachariah Chandler
, and served in the 44th and 45th Congresses from March 4, 1875, to February 10, 1879, when he resigned due to ill health. Chandler was elected to retake the seat twelve days later.
He served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Peru
from 1879 to 1881, after which he returned to Lansing, Michigan
to resume the practice of law. During his stay in Peru, Christiancy warned the United States about the rising British influence that was being brought about by Chile during the War of the Pacific
.
He died in Lansing and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Monroe.
His son, James Isaac Christiancy (1844-December 18, 1899), was First Lieutenant
, United States Army
. He was awarded the Medal of Honor
during the American Civil War
while serving in Company D, 9th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry. On May 28, 1864, while acting as aide, he voluntarily led a part of the line into the fight, and was twice wounded. The Medal was actually issued on October 10, 1892. He is buried in the Woodland Cemetery
in Monroe, Michigan
.
The Thomas M. Cooley Law School
chapter of Phi Alpha Delta
law fraternity is named for him.
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
and U.S. Senator from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Christiancy was born near Johnstown, New York
Johnstown (town), New York
Johnstown is a town located in Fulton County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 7,166. The name of the town is from landowner William Johnson....
in what is now Bleecker, New York
Bleecker, New York
Bleecker is a town in Fulton County, New York, USA. The population was 573 at the 2000 census. The name is from Barent Bleecker, one of the original landowners of the region....
to parents of humble means. His grandfather, Isaac Peckham, was one of the first pioneers in Caroga, New York
Caroga, New York
Caroga is a town in Fulton County, New York, USA. The population was 1,407 at the 2000 census. The town was named after a local creek.The Town of Caroga is in the northern part of the county and is north of Gloversville and Johnstown....
, settling in the area as early as 1783. Christiancy attended the common schools and the Johnstown and Ovid Academies. After his father died when he was 13, he also had to support his family. He taught school and studied law. In 1836, Christiancy was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
after moving to Monroe, Michigan
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
, where he obtained a clerkship in a Federal land office. He married Elizabeth E. McClosky on November 16, 1839.
He was prosecuting attorney for Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
from 1841 to 1846. In 1848 he was a delegate to the Free Soil Party
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
convention in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, having left the Democratic Party
History of the United States Democratic Party
The history of the Democratic Party of the United States is an account of the oldest political party in the United States and arguably the oldest democratic party in the world....
over the question of slavery.
He was a member of the Michigan State Senate from 1850 to 1852 and an unsuccessful Free Soil Party candidate for Governor in 1852. He helped to organize the Republican Party
History of the United States Republican Party
The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous...
in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
in 1854. He purchased the Monroe Commercial in 1857 and became its editor. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in that year.
Pursuant to the new state constitution adopted in 1850, the Michigan Legislature created a permanent State Supreme Court in 1857. Christiancy was elected as an associate judge of this first permanent Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
. He was reelected twice and served until February 27, 1875, when he resigned to take the office of U.S. Senator. He served as Chief Justice from 1872 to 1874. Christiancy is known as one of the "Big Four" of Michigan judicial history for his service while on the court.
He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the U.S. Senate in 1874, defeating the incumbent Radical Republican Zachariah Chandler
Zachariah Chandler
Zachariah Chandler was Mayor of Detroit , a four-term U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan , and Secretary of the Interior under U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant .-Family:...
, and served in the 44th and 45th Congresses from March 4, 1875, to February 10, 1879, when he resigned due to ill health. Chandler was elected to retake the seat twelve days later.
He served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
from 1879 to 1881, after which he returned to Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
to resume the practice of law. During his stay in Peru, Christiancy warned the United States about the rising British influence that was being brought about by Chile during the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
.
He died in Lansing and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Monroe.
His son, James Isaac Christiancy (1844-December 18, 1899), was First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
while serving in Company D, 9th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry. On May 28, 1864, while acting as aide, he voluntarily led a part of the line into the fight, and was twice wounded. The Medal was actually issued on October 10, 1892. He is buried in the Woodland Cemetery
Woodland Cemetery (Monroe, Michigan)
Woodland Cemetery, formerly known as Grove Cemetery and Woodlawn Cemetery, is a public, city-owned cemetery located at 428 Jerome Street in southeast Monroe, Michigan. It occupies 10 acres and contains over 6,500 graves. Founded in 1810, it is one of Michigan’s oldest public cemeteries...
in Monroe, Michigan
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
.
The Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is an American Bar Association accredited law school in the United States. Located in Michigan, its main campus is in Lansing, and its satellite campuses are in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, and Grand Rapids. Cooley plans on opening another satellite campus in Tampa Bay,...
chapter of Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta
ΦAΔ , or P.A.D., is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States of America. Phi Alpha Delta has members who are university students, law school students, lawyers, judges, senators, and even presidents. It was founded in 1902 and today has over 300,000 initiated members...
law fraternity is named for him.