Andrew Adams (congressman)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Adams was an American
lawyer
, jurist
, and political leader
in Litchfield, Connecticut
, during the American Revolutionary War
. He was a delegate for Connecticut
to the Continental Congress
and later Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court
.
Adams was born in Stratford
, the son of Samuel (1703–1788) and Mary Fairchild (1698–1803) Adams. His father practiced law in Stratford and was a judge of Fairfield County
.
Adams attended Yale
and graduated in 1760 before reading law
with his father. He first practiced in Stamford
. In 1772 he was named the king's attorney for Litchfield County
. He moved to Litchfield
in 1774 and made his home there for the rest of his life.
With the coming of the American Revolution
, Adams was a member of Connecticut's Committee of Safety
. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives
from 1776 until 1781 and was its speaker in 1779 and 1780. During the Revolutionary War he also served as a colonel in the Connecticut militia. He was appointed to the Second Continental Congress
in 1778 and signed the Articles of Confederation
.
In 1789 he was named to the state's Executive Council as an associate justice of the state's Supreme Court. Then in 1793 he was advanced to chief justice of Connecticut, and remained in this post until his death in Litchfield in 1797. He is buried in the East Cemetery in Litchfield.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, and political leader
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
, during the American 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...
. He was a delegate for 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 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....
and later 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...
.
Adams was born in Stratford
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, the son of Samuel (1703–1788) and Mary Fairchild (1698–1803) Adams. His father practiced law in Stratford and was a judge of Fairfield County
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
.
Adams attended Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and graduated in 1760 before reading law
Reading law
Reading law is the method by which persons in common law countries, particularly the United States, entered the legal profession before the advent of law schools. This usage specifically refers to a means of entering the profession . A small number of U.S...
with his father. He first practiced in Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. In 1772 he was named the king's attorney for Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...
. He moved to Litchfield
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
in 1774 and made his home there for the rest of his life.
With the coming of 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...
, Adams was a member of Connecticut's Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
from 1776 until 1781 and was its speaker in 1779 and 1780. During the Revolutionary War he also served as a colonel in the Connecticut militia. He was appointed 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 1778 and signed 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...
.
In 1789 he was named to the state's Executive Council as an associate justice of the state's Supreme Court. Then in 1793 he was advanced to chief justice of Connecticut, and remained in this post until his death in Litchfield in 1797. He is buried in the East Cemetery in Litchfield.