Amos Tuck
Encyclopedia
Amos Tuck was a political figure in New Hampshire
, credited by some New Hampshire sources as a founder of the Republican Party
.
, Maine
, August 2, 1810, the son of John Tuck, a sixth generation descendant of Robert Tuck, a founder of Hampton
(Winnacunnet), New Hampshire, in 1638.
Amos Tuck attended Effingham Academy and Hampton Academy
and graduated from Dartmouth College
in Hanover, New Hampshire
, in 1835; he studied law and entered the bar. He married Davida Nudd and had a son, Edward Tuck
, on August 25, 1842, and a daughter, Ellen Tuck French, who married into the British peerage. Tuck was an earlier supporter and donor to the Free Will Baptist's Parsonfield Seminary. He is the namesake of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
. He later became a trustee of Dartmouth College. After leaving politics, Tuck was commissioned as a Naval officer of the port of Boston
1861-1865; following the American Civil War
, he resumed the practice of law and also engaged in railroad building, at which he gained significant success and wealth.
.
In 1845 he called a convention to form an independent movement in favor of anti-slavery Congressional Candidate John P. Hale
. This convention would later be identified as "the nucleus of the Republican Party." During the months following the convention (which was described by Tuck as "respectable in numbers and unparalleled in spirit") Tuck worked tenaciously to grow his young party. His hard work and enthusiasm resulted in the successful election of Hale in 1846.
Tuck himself ran as a Free-Soil candidate to the Thirty-first Congress
, and as a Whig
to the Thirty-second Congress
(March 4, 1847-March 3, 1853). After three consecutive terms he returned to Exeter in 1853 and began a movement to unite the many minor political factions that existed in the state of New Hampshire.
held in Washington, D.C., in 1861 in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending war.
He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln
, John Greenleaf Whittier
and many other men prominent in his time, and is said to be responsible for putting Lincoln in office. "Lincoln...would never have realized his goals," according to Dartmouth historian Professor Frank Smallwood, "if his old friend, Amos Tuck of Exeter, New Hampshire...had not played such an influential role in helping him to secure the Republican party's presidential nomination in 1860."
His son, Edward Tuck
, financed and founded at Dartmouth College
the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration
, as well as the Tuck Historical Building, a beautiful granite structure in Concord, New Hampshire
, home of the New Hampshire Historical Society
and its Tuck Library.
Family and political descendants founded the Amos Tuck Society to promote and spread the history of Tucks contributions and founding of the Republican Party.
would also graduate from, and become a major donor to, Dartmouth College. He made his fortune in banking, railroads and international trade, becoming vice-consul to France.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, credited by some New Hampshire sources as a founder of the 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...
.
Early life and education
Born in ParsonsfieldParsonsfield, Maine
Parsonsfield is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,584 at the 2000 census. Parsonsfield includes the villages of Kezar Falls, Parsonsfield, and North, East and South Parsonsfield...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, August 2, 1810, the son of John Tuck, a sixth generation descendant of Robert Tuck, a founder of Hampton
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
(Winnacunnet), New Hampshire, in 1638.
Amos Tuck attended Effingham Academy and Hampton Academy
New Hampton School
New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school located in New Hampton, New Hampshire, in the New England region of the northeastern United States...
and graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
, in 1835; he studied law and entered the bar. He married Davida Nudd and had a son, Edward Tuck
Edward Tuck
Edward Tuck was an American banker and philanthropist. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was educated at Dartmouth College. Tuck donated $500,000 to Dartmouth to endow the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance, in memory of his father...
, on August 25, 1842, and a daughter, Ellen Tuck French, who married into the British peerage. Tuck was an earlier supporter and donor to the Free Will Baptist's Parsonfield Seminary. He is the namesake of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Professional life
In his youth Amos Tuck came to Hampton and from 1836 to 1838 was Headmaster of the Hampton Academy founded by his ancestors. He was admitted to the bar in 1838 and commenced practice in ExeterExeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
. He later became a trustee of Dartmouth College. After leaving politics, Tuck was commissioned as a Naval officer of the port of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
1861-1865; following 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...
, he resumed the practice of law and also engaged in railroad building, at which he gained significant success and wealth.
Political career
Tuck was elected to the State house of representatives in 1842 as a member of the Democratic Party but broke with pro-slavery Democratic leaders in 1844 and was formally cast out of the party. He ran for Congress, anyway, and was elected as an Independent to the Thirtieth Congress30th United States Congress
The Thirtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, during the last two years of...
.
In 1845 he called a convention to form an independent movement in favor of anti-slavery Congressional Candidate John P. Hale
John P. Hale
John Parker Hale was an American politician and lawyer from New Hampshire. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and in the United States Senate from 1847 to 1853 and again from 1855 to 1865. He was the first senator to make a stand against slavery...
. This convention would later be identified as "the nucleus of the Republican Party." During the months following the convention (which was described by Tuck as "respectable in numbers and unparalleled in spirit") Tuck worked tenaciously to grow his young party. His hard work and enthusiasm resulted in the successful election of Hale in 1846.
Tuck himself ran as a Free-Soil candidate to the Thirty-first Congress
31st United States Congress
The Thirty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, during the last 17 months...
, and 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...
to the Thirty-second Congress
32nd United States Congress
The Thirty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1853, during the third and...
(March 4, 1847-March 3, 1853). After three consecutive terms he returned to Exeter in 1853 and began a movement to unite the many minor political factions that existed in the state of New Hampshire.
Founder of the Republican Party in New Hampshire
Tuck organized a secret meeting, on October 12, 1853 at Major Blake's Hotel in Exeter of a group of anti-slavery men. Tuck suggested they form a party to be called "Republicans." The term "Republican party" had been widely used in New Hampshire politics in the 1830s. However, all the guests at the dinner rejected Tuck's suggestion and none of them, including Tuck, became Republicans until two or more years later. The dinner is commemorated by the tablet now affixed to the Squamscott House in Exeter. The participants campaigned for several parties in 1854 state elections, but the Republican party did not run a ticket that year in the state. Tuck himself campaigned for the Free Soil party in 1854. He did help form the state Republican party in 1856 and was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1856 and 1860. Tuck was appointed a delegate to the peace conventionPeace conference of 1861
The Peace Conference of 1861 was a meeting of more than 100 of the leading politicians of the antebellum United States held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861 that was meant to prevent what ultimately became the Civil War. The success of President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in the...
held in Washington, D.C., in 1861 in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending war.
He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
and many other men prominent in his time, and is said to be responsible for putting Lincoln in office. "Lincoln...would never have realized his goals," according to Dartmouth historian Professor Frank Smallwood, "if his old friend, Amos Tuck of Exeter, New Hampshire...had not played such an influential role in helping him to secure the Republican party's presidential nomination in 1860."
Retirement and legacy
Tuck died in Exeter, New Hampshire, on December 11, 1879. He was interred in Exeter Cemetery.His son, Edward Tuck
Edward Tuck
Edward Tuck was an American banker and philanthropist. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was educated at Dartmouth College. Tuck donated $500,000 to Dartmouth to endow the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance, in memory of his father...
, financed and founded at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration
Tuck School of Business
The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration is the graduate business school of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States...
, as well as the Tuck Historical Building, a beautiful granite structure in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, home of the New Hampshire Historical Society
New Hampshire Historical Society
The New Hampshire Historical Society was founded in 1823. Its mission is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today.-Introduction:...
and its Tuck Library.
Family and political descendants founded the Amos Tuck Society to promote and spread the history of Tucks contributions and founding of the Republican Party.
Descendants
Edward TuckEdward Tuck
Edward Tuck was an American banker and philanthropist. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was educated at Dartmouth College. Tuck donated $500,000 to Dartmouth to endow the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance, in memory of his father...
would also graduate from, and become a major donor to, Dartmouth College. He made his fortune in banking, railroads and international trade, becoming vice-consul to France.