Henry Hubbard was a member of the
United States House of RepresentativesThe 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 1829 to 1835, a
SenatorThe 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...
from
New HampshireNew 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...
during 1835 to 1841, and the
Governor of New HampshireThe Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
from 1842 to 1844.
Early life
Henry Hubbard was born on May 3, 1784, in
Charlestown, New HampshireCharlestown is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,114 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Hubbard State Forest and the headquarters of the Student Conservation Association....
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hubbard was educated at home, and engaged in classical studies whilst taught by private tutors, before attending
Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth 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...
and graduating from there in 1803. He studied law in
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
with
Jeremiah MasonJeremiah Mason was a United States Senator from New Hampshire. Born in Lebanon, Connecticut, son of Jeremiah Mason and wife Elizabeth Fitch , he graduated from Yale College in 1788, studied law, moved to Vermont, and was admitted to the bar in 1791...
, and was admitted to the New Hampshire
barBar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
around 1806. That year, he began practicing law in Charlestown. Hubbard married Sally Walker Dean in 1813; together, they would have 5 children.
Political career
In 1810, Hubbard entered politics for the first time, and was elected to the position of Town Moderator; by the end of his life, he would be elected Town Moderator sixteen times. In 1812, Hubbard became a member of the
New Hampshire House of RepresentativesThe New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...
, and served until 1814, as well as from 1819 to 1820, and 1823 to 1827. From 1825 to 1827, he was the Speaker of the House. Hubbard was also selectman in 1819, 1820 and 1828, the Judge Advocate of the 5th Militia Brigade, the Solicitor for
Sullivan County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,458 people, 16,530 households, and 11,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 29/; . There were 20,158 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
from 1823 to 1828 as well as the state solicitor for
Cheshire County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 73,825 people, 28,299 households, and 18,790 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 31,876 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile...
during that time, and Probate Judge for Sullivan County beginning in 1827 and ending in 1829.
Early on, Hubbard was a Federalist, but on March 4, 1829, he started as a member of the United States House of Representatives, as a Jackson Democrat. He served during the
21st-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
,
22nd-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President:** John C. Calhoun , resigned December 28, 1832, thereafter vacant.* President pro tempore:** Samuel Smith , first elected December 5, 1831** Littleton W...
, and
23rd Congresses-House of Representatives:For the beginning of this congress, the size of the House was increased from 213 seats to 240 seats, following the 1830 United States Census .- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Martin Van Buren...
; in the 22nd, he was the chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. Hubbard was also the Speaker pro tem in 1834, and he left the House on March 4, 1835, having been elected to the
United States SenateThe 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...
as a
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. During the
24th-House of Representatives:During this congress one House seat was added for each of the new states of Arkansas and Michigan.-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Martin Van Buren * President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :...
,
25th-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Richard Mentor Johnson * President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James K. Polk -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
, and
26th Congresses-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :*President: Richard M. Johnson *President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :*Speaker: Robert M.T. Hunter -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
, Hubbard held the position of chairman of the Committee on Claims. He ended his career in the Senate on March 4, 1841. Hubbard gained the Democratic nomination for
Governor of New HampshireThe Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
, and was elected by popular vote in 1842, winning re-election in 1843. As Governor, Hubbard "favored lowering high national protective tariffs, denounced capital punishment, and called for state legislation to curb corporate shareholder profits made at the public expense." He also argued that women who owned property should be given a tax reduction.
Later life
Hubbard was the subtreasurer in
BostonBoston 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...
from 1846 to 1849, afterwards returning to Charlestown to practice law. He died there on June 5, 1857, and was interred in Forest Hill Cemetery.
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