Samuel Shethar Phelps was a United States Senator from Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

. He was a member of the Whig Party

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...

.

Phelps was born 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...

. He studied at Yale University

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 served as a military paymaster during 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...

. He then settled in Middlebury, Vermont and became a lawyer, soon entering politics. He served in the Vermont State House

Vermont State House

The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, is the state capitol of Vermont and the seat of the Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to be used as the State House...

 from 1821 to 1832, as a judge on the Vermont Supreme Court

Vermont Supreme Court

The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont and is one of seven state courts of Vermont.The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices; the Court mostly hears appeals of cases that have been decided by other courts...

 from 1832 to 1838, and as a member of the Vermont Senate

Vermont Senate

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...

 from 1838 to 1839. In 1839 he gained a seat in the U.S. Senate from Vermont and served there until 1851. During that time he chaired several committees. He returned to the United States Senate in 1853, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Senator William Upham

William Upham

William Upham was a United States Senator from Vermont.-Biography:William Upham was born in Leicester, Massachusetts to Samuel Upham and Martha Upham. He moved with his father to Montpelier, Vermont in 1802...

, who had died. However, this was disputed by some, and in 1854 he was forced to resign when a senate committee ruled that he was not entitled to the seat. He died the following year in Middlebury.

His son, Edward John Phelps

Edward John Phelps

Edward John Phelps was a lawyer and diplomat from Vermont. Born in Middlebury, he graduated from Middlebury College in 1840, studied law at Yale University, and began practicing in 1843.-Schooling:...

, was also a politician and lawyer as well as a diplomat.

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