Samuel W. Dana
Encyclopedia
Samuel Whittlesey Dana (February 13, 1760 July 21, 1830) was an American lawyer and politician from Middletown, Connecticut
. He represented Connecticut
in both the U.S. House of Representatives
and Senate
.
Born in Wallingford, Connecticut
, Dana pursued academic studies and graduated from Yale College
in 1775. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1778, and practiced in Middletown, Connecticut
. He was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly
from 1789 to 1796. Afterward he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Uriah Tracy
, and served from January 3, 1797 to May 10, 1810. There he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Elections, and was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1798 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against William Blount
, a Senator from Tennessee.
Dana was elected as a Federalist
in 1810 to the United States Senate
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James Hillhouse
. He was reelected in 1814 and served from December 4, 1810, to March 3, 1821. Afterwards he was mayor of Middletown from 1822 until his death. He was also the presiding judge of the Middlesex
County Court
from 1825 until his death. He was interred in Washington Street Cemetery.
(1699-1772), a lawyer, who was in turn a descendant through Caleb, second son of Daniel, who was the youngest son of Richard Dana, who came from England
, settled in Cambridge
in 1640, and died there about 1695. According to the family tradition, this last Richard was the son of a French Huguenot
that settled in England in 1629.
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
. He represented 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...
in both the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The 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...
and 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...
.
Born in Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, Dana pursued academic studies and graduated from Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
in 1775. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1778, and practiced in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
. He was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
from 1789 to 1796. Afterward he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The 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...
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Uriah Tracy
Uriah Tracy
Uriah Tracy was an American politician from Connecticut who served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate....
, and served from January 3, 1797 to May 10, 1810. There he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Elections, and was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1798 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against William Blount
William Blount
William Blount, was a United States statesman. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention for North Carolina, the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, and Democratic-Republican Senator from Tennessee . He played a major role in establishing the state of Tennessee. He was the...
, a Senator from Tennessee.
Dana was elected as a Federalist
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
in 1810 to 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...
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James Hillhouse
James Hillhouse
James Hillhouse was an American lawyer, real estate developer, and politician from New Haven, Connecticut. He represented Connecticut in both the U.S. House and Senate...
. He was reelected in 1814 and served from December 4, 1810, to March 3, 1821. Afterwards he was mayor of Middletown from 1822 until his death. He was also the presiding judge of the Middlesex
Middlesex County, Connecticut
Middlesex County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was created in 1785 from portions of Hartford and New London counties. As of 2010, the population was 165,676....
County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
from 1825 until his death. He was interred in Washington Street Cemetery.
Family
His father was the clergyman James Dana (1735-1812), who was a nephew of Richard DanaRichard Dana (lawyer)
Richard Dana was a prominent lawyer and politician in colonial Massachusetts.Dana was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College and then studied law and passed the bar. He became a prominent lawyer, was connected with the Sons of Liberty and protests against the Stamp Act...
(1699-1772), a lawyer, who was in turn a descendant through Caleb, second son of Daniel, who was the youngest son of Richard Dana, who came from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, settled in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in 1640, and died there about 1695. According to the family tradition, this last Richard was the son of a French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
that settled in England in 1629.