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Samuel Huntington (statesman)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Huntington was a jurist, statesman, and Patriot
in the American Revolution
from Connecticut
. As a delegate to the Continental Congress
, he signed the Declaration of Independence
and the Articles of Confederation
. He also served as President of the Continental Congress
from 1779 to 1781, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court
from 1784 to 1785, and the 3rd Governor of Connecticut from 1786 until his death.
, Connecticut
(his birthplace is now in Scotland, Connecticut
, which broke off from Windham). He was the fourth of ten children, but the oldest boy. He had a limited education in the common school
s, then was self educated. When Samuel was 16 he was apprenticed to a cooper, but also continued to help his father on the farm. His education came from the library of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion and books borrowed from local lawyers.
In 1754 Samuel was admitted to the bar, and moved to Norwich
, Connecticut
to begin practising law. He married Martha Devotion (Ebenezer's daughter) in 1761. They remained together until her death in 1794. While the couple would not have children, when his brother (Rev. Joseph Huntington) died they adopted their nephew and niece. They raised Samuel H. Huntington
and Frances as their own.
Huntington was an outspoken critic of the Coercive Acts of the British Parliament
. As a result, the assembly elected him in October 1775 to become one of their delegates to the Second Continental Congress
. In January 1776 he took his place with Roger Sherman
and Oliver Wolcott as the Connecticut delegation in Philadelphia. He voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence
and the Articles of Confederation
. He suffered from an attack of smallpox
while in Congress.
left to become minister to Spain, Huntington was elected to succeed him as President of the Continental Congress
on September 28, 1779. The President of Congress was a mostly ceremonial position with no real authority, but the office did require Huntington to handle a good deal of correspondence and sign official documents. He spent his time as president urging the states and their legislatures to support the levies for men, supplies, and money needed to fight the Revolutionary War
. The Articles of Confederation were finally ratified during his term.
Huntington remained as President of Congress until July 9, 1781, when ill health forced him to resign and return to Connecticut. In 1782, Connecticut again named him as a delegate, but his health and judicial duties kept him from accepting. He returned to the Congress as a delegate for the 1783 session to see the success of the revolution embodied in the Treaty of Paris
.
, serving with Governor Matthew Griswold
. In 1786 he followed Griswold as Governor of Connecticut, and was reelected annually until his death in 1796. That same year, in a reprise of his efforts in Congress, he brokered the Treaty of Hartford
that resolved western land claims between New York and Massachusetts
. The following year he lent his support to the Northwest Ordinance
that completed the national resolution of these issues.
In 1788 he presided over the Connecticut Convention that was called to ratify the United States Constitution
. In later years he saw the transition of Connecticut into a U.S. State. He resolved the issue of a permanent state capital at Hartford
and oversaw the construction of the state house. He died while in office, at his home in Norwich on January 5, 1796. His tomb is located down Old Cemetery Lane adjacent to the Norwichtown Green and its inscription is in excellent condition.
, when that town incorporated with Shelton to form a city in 1919.
There is still a Huntington Green, however. Huntington County, Indiana
is named in his honor. Huntington Mills
is a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania which also derives its name in honor of Samuel Huntington.
The home that Samuel was born in was built by his father, Nathaniel, around 1732 and still stands. The area is now within the borders of the town of Scotland, Connecticut
. In 1994 the home and some grounds were purchased by a local historic trust. restoration is underway, but parts of the home and grounds are open to visitors at limited times. The Samuel Huntington Birthplace
is a National Historic Landmark
.
His nephew and adopted son Samuel H. Huntington
moved to the Ohio country that he had been instrumental in opening up, and later became the third Governor of Ohio
.
Because Huntington was the President of the Continental Congress when the Articles of Confederation
were ratified, some amateur historians and civic groups in Connecticut have claimed that Huntington was actually the first President of the United States.
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
from 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...
. As a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, he signed the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
and the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
. He also served as President of the Continental Congress
President of the Continental Congress
The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government of the United States during the American Revolution...
from 1779 to 1781, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
from 1784 to 1785, and the 3rd Governor of Connecticut from 1786 until his death.
Personal life
Samuel was born to Nathaniel and Mehetabel Huntington on July 16, 1731 in WindhamWindham, Connecticut
Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
, 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...
(his birthplace is now in Scotland, Connecticut
Scotland, Connecticut
Scotland is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,556. Scotland is a predominantly rural town, with agriculture as the principal industry.-Geography:...
, which broke off from Windham). He was the fourth of ten children, but the oldest boy. He had a limited education in the common school
Common school
A common school was a public school in the United States or Canada in the nineteenth century. The term 'common school' was coined by Horace Mann, and refers to the fact that they were meant to serve individuals of all social classes and religions....
s, then was self educated. When Samuel was 16 he was apprenticed to a cooper, but also continued to help his father on the farm. His education came from the library of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion and books borrowed from local lawyers.
In 1754 Samuel was admitted to the bar, and moved to Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
, 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...
to begin practising law. He married Martha Devotion (Ebenezer's daughter) in 1761. They remained together until her death in 1794. While the couple would not have children, when his brother (Rev. Joseph Huntington) died they adopted their nephew and niece. They raised Samuel H. Huntington
Samuel H. Huntington
Samuel H. Huntington was an American jurist who was the third Governor of Ohio from 1808 to 1810.He was the nephew and adopted son of Samuel Huntington, the fourth President of the Continental Congress and First President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of...
and Frances as their own.
Political career
After brief service as a selectman, Huntington began his political career in earnest in 1764 when Norwich sent him as one of their representatives to the lower house of the Connecticut Assembly. He continued to be returned to that office each year until 1774. In 1775 he was elected to the upper house, the Governor's Council, where he was reelected until 1784. In addition to serving in the legislature, he was appointed King's attorney for Connecticut in 1768 and in 1773 was appointed to the colony's supreme court, then known as the Superior Court. He became chief justice of the Superior Court in 1784.Huntington was an outspoken critic of the Coercive Acts of the British Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
. As a result, the assembly elected him in October 1775 to become one of their delegates to the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
. In January 1776 he took his place with Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman was an early American lawyer and politician, as well as a founding father. He served as the first mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, and served on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and was also a representative and senator in the new republic...
and Oliver Wolcott as the Connecticut delegation in Philadelphia. He voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
and the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
. He suffered from an attack of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
while in Congress.
President of Congress
While not known for extensive learning or brilliant speech, Huntington's steady hard work and unfailing calm manner earned him the respect of his fellow delegates. As a result, when John JayJohn Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....
left to become minister to Spain, Huntington was elected to succeed him as President of the Continental Congress
President of the Continental Congress
The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government of the United States during the American Revolution...
on September 28, 1779. The President of Congress was a mostly ceremonial position with no real authority, but the office did require Huntington to handle a good deal of correspondence and sign official documents. He spent his time as president urging the states and their legislatures to support the levies for men, supplies, and money needed to fight the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The Articles of Confederation were finally ratified during his term.
Huntington remained as President of Congress until July 9, 1781, when ill health forced him to resign and return to Connecticut. In 1782, Connecticut again named him as a delegate, but his health and judicial duties kept him from accepting. He returned to the Congress as a delegate for the 1783 session to see the success of the revolution embodied in the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
.
Governor of Connecticut
In 1785 he was elected as Lieutenant Governor for ConnecticutConnecticut
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...
, serving with Governor Matthew Griswold
Matthew Griswold (governor)
Matthew Griswold was the 2nd Governor of Connecticut from 1784 to 1786. He also served as Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of the Superior Court, during the American Revolution .-Early life:...
. In 1786 he followed Griswold as Governor of Connecticut, and was reelected annually until his death in 1796. That same year, in a reprise of his efforts in Congress, he brokered the Treaty of Hartford
Treaty of Hartford
The term Treaty of Hartford applies to three historic agreements negotiated at Hartford, Connecticut. The 1638 treaty divided the spoils of the Pequot War. The 1650 treaty defined a border between the Dutch Nieuw Amsterdam and English settlers in Connecticut...
that resolved western land claims between New York and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The following year he lent his support to the Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...
that completed the national resolution of these issues.
In 1788 he presided over the Connecticut Convention that was called to ratify the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. In later years he saw the transition of Connecticut into a U.S. State. He resolved the issue of a permanent state capital at Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and oversaw the construction of the state house. He died while in office, at his home in Norwich on January 5, 1796. His tomb is located down Old Cemetery Lane adjacent to the Norwichtown Green and its inscription is in excellent condition.
Later events
Huntington, Connecticut, was named in his honor in 1789, but later renamed to SheltonShelton, Connecticut
Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639...
, when that town incorporated with Shelton to form a city in 1919.
There is still a Huntington Green, however. Huntington County, Indiana
Huntington County, Indiana
Huntington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The county seat and lone city is Huntington. According to Census 2010, the population was 37,124.-Geography:...
is named in his honor. Huntington Mills
Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania
Huntington Mills is a village located in the northeastern section of the state of Pennsylvania.The village of Huntington Mills is the center of activities in Huntington Township within Luzerne County...
is a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania which also derives its name in honor of Samuel Huntington.
The home that Samuel was born in was built by his father, Nathaniel, around 1732 and still stands. The area is now within the borders of the town of Scotland, Connecticut
Scotland, Connecticut
Scotland is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,556. Scotland is a predominantly rural town, with agriculture as the principal industry.-Geography:...
. In 1994 the home and some grounds were purchased by a local historic trust. restoration is underway, but parts of the home and grounds are open to visitors at limited times. The Samuel Huntington Birthplace
Samuel Huntington Birthplace
The Huntington Homestead, also known as the Samuel Huntington Birthplace, in Scotland, Connecticut was the boyhood home of Samuel Huntington, the American statesman. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence...
is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
His nephew and adopted son Samuel H. Huntington
Samuel H. Huntington
Samuel H. Huntington was an American jurist who was the third Governor of Ohio from 1808 to 1810.He was the nephew and adopted son of Samuel Huntington, the fourth President of the Continental Congress and First President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of...
moved to the Ohio country that he had been instrumental in opening up, and later became the third Governor of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Because Huntington was the President of the Continental Congress when the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
were ratified, some amateur historians and civic groups in Connecticut have claimed that Huntington was actually the first President of the United States.