United States Senate election in New York, 1809
Encyclopedia
The 1809 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 7, 1809, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
(1803-1804) and John Armstrong
(1804). He took his seat on November 23, 1804, and his term would expire on March 3, 1809.
At the State election in April 1808, a Democratic-Republican majority was elected to the Assembly, and 8 of the 9 State Senators up for renewal were Democratic-Republicans. Due to the split of the public opinion over the embargo
against Great Britain
, which eventually led to the War of 1812
, the Federalists managed to elect a much larger number of assemblymen than during the previous years. The party strength in the Assembly was estimated at 60 to 45, this being the vote for Speaker
: 60 for James W. Wilkin
and 45 for Stephen Van Rensselaer. The 32nd New York State Legislature
met from November 1 to 8, 1808; and from January 17 to March 30, 1809, at Albany, New York
.
The incumbent U.S. Senator Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill ran for re-election.
Ex-Clerk of Dutchess County
David Brooks, a former Congressman (1797-1799), was the candidate of the Federalist Party.
Obs.: It is unclear how the above vote was obtained. There are more votes than members of assembly, but in a joint ballot, there can be only two nominees. It seems to be the addition of the separate votes of the Assembly and the Senate.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Samuel L. Mitchill had been elected in November 1804, after the seat had been occupied by Theodorus BaileyTheodorus Bailey (senator)
Theodorus Bailey was an American lawyer and politician from Poughkeepsie, New York. He represented New York in both the U.S. House and Senate...
(1803-1804) and John Armstrong
John Armstrong, Jr.
John Armstrong, Jr. was an American soldier and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of War.-Early life and Revolutionary War:...
(1804). He took his seat on November 23, 1804, and his term would expire on March 3, 1809.
At the State election in April 1808, a Democratic-Republican majority was elected to the Assembly, and 8 of the 9 State Senators up for renewal were Democratic-Republicans. Due to the split of the public opinion over the embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
against Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, which eventually led to the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Federalists managed to elect a much larger number of assemblymen than during the previous years. The party strength in the Assembly was estimated at 60 to 45, this being the vote for Speaker
Speaker of the New York State Assembly
The Speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party....
: 60 for James W. Wilkin
James W. Wilkin
James Whitney Wilkin was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:Wilkin served in the Revolutionary War....
and 45 for Stephen Van Rensselaer. The 32nd New York State Legislature
32nd New York State Legislature
The 32nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 1, 1808, to March 30, 1809, during the second year of Daniel D...
met from November 1 to 8, 1808; and from January 17 to March 30, 1809, at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Candidates
Assemblyman Obadiah German was the candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party.The incumbent U.S. Senator Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill ran for re-election.
Ex-Clerk of Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
David Brooks, a former Congressman (1797-1799), was the candidate of the Federalist Party.
Result
Obadiah German was elected.| Office | House | Democratic-Republican | Federalist | Democratic-Republican | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (32 members) |
||||||
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (111 members) |
|||||||
| Obadiah German Obadiah German Obadiah German was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was admitted to the bar in 1792, and commenced practice in Norwich.... |
65 | David Brooks David Brooks (politician) David Brooks was an officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolution and a United States representative from New York.... |
43 | Samuel L. Mitchill Samuel Latham Mitchill Samuel Latham Mitchill was an American physician, naturalist, and politician from New York. He was born in Hempstead, New York... |
16 | ||
Obs.: It is unclear how the above vote was obtained. There are more votes than members of assembly, but in a joint ballot, there can be only two nominees. It seems to be the addition of the separate votes of the Assembly and the Senate.
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 120 for State Senators 1808-09; pg. 182f for Members of Assembly 1808-09)
- Members of the 11th United States Congress
- History of Political Parties in the State of New-York by Jabez Delano Hammond (page 276)
- Election result at Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
Library project "A New Nation Votes"