Samuel Caldwell Sample was a United States Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. He was born in Elkton, Maryland

Elkton, Maryland

The town of Elkton is the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,893 as of the 2000 census and 14,842 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Cecil County...

 and attended a rural school. He learned to become a carpenter

Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

 and assisted his father in his contracting business. In 1823 he moved with his father to Connersville, Indiana

Connersville, Indiana

At the 2000 census, there were 15,411 people, 6,382 households and 4,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,894.5 per square mile . There were 6,974 housing units at an average density of 857.3 per square mile...

. He studied law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 there and was admitted to the bar in 1833.

After being admitted to the bar, he began practicing law in South Bend, Indiana

South Bend, Indiana

The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

. In 1834 he was elected prosecuting attorney and subsequently elected judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

 of the ninth judicial circuit in 1836. He served as judge until he resigned in 1843. He also served as president of the First National Bank of South Bend.

He was elected to the 28th United States Congress

28th United States Congress

-House of Representatives:Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida .- Senate :*President: Vacant...

 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...

 where he served from 1843 to 1845, the first representative from Indiana's 9th congressional district

Indiana's 9th congressional district

Indiana's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Located in south-central and southeastern Indiana, the district is based in Bloomington....

. He was defeated for reelection in 1844 by Charles W. Cathcart

Charles W. Cathcart

Charles William Cathcart was a United States Representative and Senator from Indiana. He was born in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal where his father, James Leander Cathcart was the United States Consul; he travelled to Spain with his parents, attended private schools, and returned to the United...

. After his defeat from Congress, he returned to South Bend, where he resumed practicing law until his death in 1855.