Joseph Pomeroy Root
Encyclopedia
Joseph Pomeroy Root was an American doctor, politician, and leader of the Free Staters.
A descendant of an old New England family, Root was the great-grandson of Revolutionary War general Seth Pomeroy
. He graduated from the Berkshire Medical College in Pittsfield
and practiced medicine in New Hartford
, Connecticut
for five years. In 1855 he was elected to the Connecticut legislature, as a Whig
.
After his term, he joined an armed party of abolitionist
settlers who ended up settling in Waubansee
, Kansas. After Root was briefly a prisoner of pro-slavery settlers, he devoted himself to the Free State cause, ultimately becoming the chairman of the free-state executive committee. After negotiating an exchange of prisoners with pro-slavery Governor Wilson Shannon
, Root left Kansas to gather funds, arms, and support among Eastern abolitionists.
On returning to Kansas, Root was elected to the territorial senate under the Topeka Constitution
, becoming president of the Senate and a member of the Territorial Council. After the ratification of the Wyandotte Constitution
in 1861, Root was elected to be the first Lieutenant Governor
of the new state.
At the outbreak of the Civil War
, Root helped raise units and was a member of the state board for examining medical officers for the army. He soon joined himself as a surgeon for the 2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
, rising to become medical director of the Army of the Frontier
.
After the Civil War Root returned to medical practice in Kansas until 1869, when he became secretary of the congressional Committee on Public Lands
. In 1870 he was appointed ambassador to Chile
, serving in that post until 1873. He received honors from the Chilean government for his work during a smallpox epidemic there.
Root returned to Wyandotte
and resumed his practice. He retained an interest in politics and issues of the day, writing the book A Catechism of Money (1876), on the issues of gold and silver coinage and serving as a delegate to the 1884 Republican Party
national convention.
Root married Frances Eveline Alden (1827-?; survived until at least 1867), a descendant of John Alden
of the Mayflower
, in 1851; they had 5 sons, of whom 4 survived to adulthood: Ernest, Frank, Joseph P., and John W.
A descendant of an old New England family, Root was the great-grandson of Revolutionary War general Seth Pomeroy
Seth Pomeroy
Seth Pomeroy was an American gunsmith and soldier from Northampton, Massachusetts. His military service included the French and Indian War and the early stages of the American Revolutionary War...
. He graduated from the Berkshire Medical College in Pittsfield
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
and practiced medicine in New Hartford
New Hartford, Connecticut
New Hartford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,088 at the 2000 census. The town center is also defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . The town is mainly a rural community consisting of farms, homes, and parks...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
for five years. In 1855 he was elected to the Connecticut legislature, as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
.
After his term, he joined an armed party of abolitionist
Abolition
Abolish means to put an end to something or to stop something.Abolition may refer to:*Abolitionism *Abolition of death penalty *Abolition of monarchy*Prison abolition movement...
settlers who ended up settling in Waubansee
Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Wabaunsee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,053. Its county seat is Alma. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Kansas. After Root was briefly a prisoner of pro-slavery settlers, he devoted himself to the Free State cause, ultimately becoming the chairman of the free-state executive committee. After negotiating an exchange of prisoners with pro-slavery Governor Wilson Shannon
Wilson Shannon
Wilson Shannon was a Democratic politician from Ohio and Kansas. He served as the 14th and 16th Governor of Ohio, and was the first governor of Ohio born in the state...
, Root left Kansas to gather funds, arms, and support among Eastern abolitionists.
On returning to Kansas, Root was elected to the territorial senate under the Topeka Constitution
Topeka Constitution
The Topeka Constitutional Convention was held in October 1855 in the town of Topeka, Kansas Territory. The convention was held in the town's Constitution Hall...
, becoming president of the Senate and a member of the Territorial Council. After the ratification of the Wyandotte Constitution
Wyandotte Constitution
The present Constitution of the State of Kansas was originally known as the Wyandotte Constitution to distinguish it from three proposed constitutions that preceded it...
in 1861, Root was elected to be the first Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
The Lieutenant Governor of Kansas is the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Kansas. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term...
of the new state.
At the outbreak of the 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...
, Root helped raise units and was a member of the state board for examining medical officers for the army. He soon joined himself as a surgeon for the 2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
The 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 2nd Kansas Cavalry was organized at Kansas City, Kansas beginning on November 8, 1861 but its designation was changed to 9th Kansas Infantry on February 4, 1862....
, rising to become medical director of the Army of the Frontier
Army of the Frontier
The Army of the Frontier was a Union army that served in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the Civil War. It fought in several minor engagements in Arkansas, Indian Territory, and Kansas...
.
After the Civil War Root returned to medical practice in Kansas until 1869, when he became secretary of the congressional Committee on Public Lands
Committee on Public Lands
The Committee on Public Lands may refer to predecessors of current committees in the two houses of the United State Congress:*United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, formerly known as the Senate Committee on Public Lands...
. In 1870 he was appointed ambassador to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, serving in that post until 1873. He received honors from the Chilean government for his work during a smallpox epidemic there.
Root returned to Wyandotte
Wyandotte County, Kansas
Wyandotte County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The county's population was 157,505 for the 2010 census. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City with which it shares a unified government...
and resumed his practice. He retained an interest in politics and issues of the day, writing the book A Catechism of Money (1876), on the issues of gold and silver coinage and serving as a delegate to the 1884 Republican Party
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...
national convention.
Root married Frances Eveline Alden (1827-?; survived until at least 1867), a descendant of John Alden
John Alden
John Alden is said to be the first person from the Mayflower to set foot on Plymouth Rock in 1620. He was a ship-carpenter by trade and a cooper for Mayflower, which was usually docked at Southampton. He was also one of the founders of Plymouth Colony and the seventh signer of the Mayflower Compact...
of the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
, in 1851; they had 5 sons, of whom 4 survived to adulthood: Ernest, Frank, Joseph P., and John W.