Increase Sumner
Encyclopedia
Increase Sumner was an American politician from Massachusetts
. He served as the fifth governor of Massachusetts
from 1797 to 1799. Trained as a lawyer, he served in the provisional government of Massachusetts during the American Revolutionary War
, and was elected to the Confederation Congress in 1782. Appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
the same year, he served in that post until 1797.
He was twice elected governor of Massachusetts, but died not long after the start of his second term. His descendants include his son William H. Sumner
, for whom the Sumner Tunnel
in Boston, Massachusetts is named.
to Increase Sumner and Sarah Sharp. Increase Sumner, the elder, was a successful farmer who held a number of public offices including coroner for Suffolk County
, and selectman of Roxbury. Sumner's father died on 28 November 1774 and left eight children. Shortly after his father's death, the Sumner family's home was exposed to enemy fire during the Siege of Boston
, prompting then to move to the family farm, called "Morgan's", in Dorchester, Massachusetts
.
In 1752 Sumner enrolled in the Grammar School in Roxbury, now Roxbury Latin School
, headed by William Cushing
, future justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
. Sumner excelled to the extent of winning admission to Harvard University
in 1763, from which he graduated in 1767.
Sumner was chosen a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress
in 1776 where he represented the town of Roxbury. He served in that body for three years until he was elected senator for Suffolk County in 1780, where he served for two years. Sumner held a seat in the convention of 1777 where the provincial congress decided on a new form of government.
In June 1782 Increase Sumner was chosen a member of the Confederation Congress by the state legislature, replacing Timothy Danielson, who resigned, but Sumner never actually took his seat. In August 1782 he was made an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
where he served from 1782 to 1797.
The period when he served in the Supreme Judicial Court was a time of great turmoil in Massachusetts. Following the American Revolutionary War
the value of the paper currency then in circulation fell significantly leaving many citizens nearly wiped out. The Commonwealth raised taxes to fund the newly organized state and to help pay the public debt which had run up during the war. Economic pressure led to outbreaks of civil unrest, culminating in Shays' Rebellion
, an uprising in central and western Massachusetts lasting from 1786 to 1787.
In 1785 Sumner was chosen by the legislature to sit on a committee to revise the laws of the Commonwealth. In 1789 he was a member of the state convention that met to discuss adoption of the United States Constitution
.
, then having served four consecutive terms in office, saw his popularity declining. A Republican in a state that was growing increasingly Federalist
, and increasingly suffering the ill effects of old age, (he was 75 at the time), Adams declined a re-nomination to office in a speech to the legislature in January 1797. A number of popular figures were raised as nominees, and in that year's election, Sumner won the vote with 15,000 out of a total of 25,000 votes cast. On 2 June Sumner rode from his home in Roxbury accompanied by 300 citizens on horseback to the State House in Boston, where the Secretary of the Commonwealth proclaimed his governorship from the eastern balcony. Sumner was the last governor to preside in what is now called the Old State House
as the seat of government was moved to the New State House
the following year.
Sumner was re-elected in April 1799. His popularity as governor was seen by his garnering a larger share of the vote for his second term, where he won 17,000 out of 21,000 votes cast. Indeed he received the unanimous vote of 180 towns out of 393 in the state. However, he never assumed the duties of office during this term as he was on his sick bed at the time. Sumner's attending physician was Dr. John Warren
.
Increase Sumner died in office from angina pectoris, aged 52 on 7 June 1799. His funeral, with full military honors was on 12 June, and was attended by United States President John Adams
. The funeral procession which included four regiments of militia ran from the governor's mansion to a service at the Old South Meeting House
. He is interred at the northerly corner of the Old Granary Burying Ground
in Boston. Sumner's lieutenant governor, Moses Gill
assumed office and served for a year.
The affection Sumner engendered may be measured by Gill's comments in a speech to the legislature on 13 June where he said:
Sumner was said to be a talented and practical farmer, an excellent horseman, and great admirer of cattle. He was fond of agriculture and personally grafted an entire orchard of fruit trees on his farm, and worked diligently to pass these skills on to his son.
He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and President of the Board of Trustees of the Roxbury Latin School
.
Sumner was a Christian
, having made a public profession of faith around the time he entered the practice of law, and became a member of the Congregational Church
in Roxbury under Rev Dr. Porter. After Sumner's death Rev Porter addressed Sumner's approach to faith by relating a conversation the two had on Sumner's death bed;
Sumner
, Maine
was named after him. Sumner left three children. His son William H. Sumner
is well known for his efforts to develop what is now East Boston and for whom the Sumner Tunnel
is named.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He served as the fifth governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
from 1797 to 1799. Trained as a lawyer, he served in the provisional government of Massachusetts 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...
, and was elected to the Confederation Congress in 1782. Appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
the same year, he served in that post until 1797.
He was twice elected governor of Massachusetts, but died not long after the start of his second term. His descendants include his son William H. Sumner
William H. Sumner
William Hyslop Sumner was born on July 4, 1780 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Gov. Increase Sumner. W H Sumner graduated from Harvard University in 1799. He served as a General in the Massachusetts militia. Sumner wrote The History of East Boston and died in 1861.-Early...
, for whom the Sumner Tunnel
Sumner Tunnel
The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End but with the completion of the Big Dig,...
in Boston, Massachusetts is named.
Early life
Increase Sumner was born on 27 November 1746 in Roxbury, MassachusettsRoxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
to Increase Sumner and Sarah Sharp. Increase Sumner, the elder, was a successful farmer who held a number of public offices including coroner for Suffolk County
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
, and selectman of Roxbury. Sumner's father died on 28 November 1774 and left eight children. Shortly after his father's death, the Sumner family's home was exposed to enemy fire during the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
, prompting then to move to the family farm, called "Morgan's", in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
.
In 1752 Sumner enrolled in the Grammar School in Roxbury, now Roxbury Latin School
Roxbury Latin School
The Roxbury Latin School is the oldest school in continuous operation in North America. The school was founded in Roxbury, Massachusetts by the Rev. John Eliot under a charter received from King Charles I of England. Since its founding in 1645, it has educated boys on a continuous basis.Located...
, headed by William Cushing
William Cushing
William Cushing was an early Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years...
, future justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Sumner excelled to the extent of winning admission to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1763, from which he graduated in 1767.
Working career
After graduating from Harvard, Sumner took charge of the Roxbury Latin School where he remained for two years while he apprenticed law under Samuel Quincy, the provincial solicitor general. Sumner was admitted to the bar in 1770 and opened a law office in Roxbury that year.Sumner was chosen a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress
Massachusetts Provincial Congress
The Massachusetts Provincial Congress was a provisional government created in the Province of Massachusetts Bay early in the American Revolution....
in 1776 where he represented the town of Roxbury. He served in that body for three years until he was elected senator for Suffolk County in 1780, where he served for two years. Sumner held a seat in the convention of 1777 where the provincial congress decided on a new form of government.
In June 1782 Increase Sumner was chosen a member of the Confederation Congress by the state legislature, replacing Timothy Danielson, who resigned, but Sumner never actually took his seat. In August 1782 he was made an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
where he served from 1782 to 1797.
The period when he served in the Supreme Judicial Court was a time of great turmoil in Massachusetts. Following 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...
the value of the paper currency then in circulation fell significantly leaving many citizens nearly wiped out. The Commonwealth raised taxes to fund the newly organized state and to help pay the public debt which had run up during the war. Economic pressure led to outbreaks of civil unrest, culminating in Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....
, an uprising in central and western Massachusetts lasting from 1786 to 1787.
In 1785 Sumner was chosen by the legislature to sit on a committee to revise the laws of the Commonwealth. In 1789 he was a member of the state convention that met to discuss adoption of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Governorship of Massachusetts
By 1796, Governor Samuel AdamsSamuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, then having served four consecutive terms in office, saw his popularity declining. A Republican in a state that was growing increasingly 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...
, and increasingly suffering the ill effects of old age, (he was 75 at the time), Adams declined a re-nomination to office in a speech to the legislature in January 1797. A number of popular figures were raised as nominees, and in that year's election, Sumner won the vote with 15,000 out of a total of 25,000 votes cast. On 2 June Sumner rode from his home in Roxbury accompanied by 300 citizens on horseback to the State House in Boston, where the Secretary of the Commonwealth proclaimed his governorship from the eastern balcony. Sumner was the last governor to preside in what is now called the Old State House
Old State House (Boston)
The Old State House is a historic government building located at the intersection of Washington and State Streets in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Built in 1713, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, and the seat of the state's legislature until 1798. It is now a history museum...
as the seat of government was moved to the New State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
the following year.
Sumner was re-elected in April 1799. His popularity as governor was seen by his garnering a larger share of the vote for his second term, where he won 17,000 out of 21,000 votes cast. Indeed he received the unanimous vote of 180 towns out of 393 in the state. However, he never assumed the duties of office during this term as he was on his sick bed at the time. Sumner's attending physician was Dr. John Warren
John Warren (surgeon)
John Warren was a Continental Army surgeon during the American Revolutionary War, founder of the Harvard Medical School and the younger brother of Joseph Warren.-Early life:...
.
Increase Sumner died in office from angina pectoris, aged 52 on 7 June 1799. His funeral, with full military honors was on 12 June, and was attended by United States President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
. The funeral procession which included four regiments of militia ran from the governor's mansion to a service at the Old South Meeting House
Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House , in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, Massachusetts, gained fame as the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. 5,000 colonists gathered at the Meeting House, the largest building in Boston at the time.-Church :The church, with its 56 m ...
. He is interred at the northerly corner of the Old Granary Burying Ground
Granary Burying Ground
Founded in 1660, the Granary Burying Ground in Massachusetts is the city of Boston's third-oldest cemetery. Located on Tremont Street, it is the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Paul Revere and the five...
in Boston. Sumner's lieutenant governor, Moses Gill
Moses Gill
Moses Gill was a Massachusetts politician who briefly served as Acting Governor of the state.-Life:He was a merchant living in Boston, until 1767, when he removed to Princeton, Massachusetts. In 1759 he married Sarah Prince, daughter to pastor Thomas Prince of Boston's Old South Church...
assumed office and served for a year.
The affection Sumner engendered may be measured by Gill's comments in a speech to the legislature on 13 June where he said:
- "...It may be proper for me to observe that the dignity of his (Sumner's) person, the equanimity and mildness of his temper, his real unaffected piety, his natural and governmental talents, rendered him an ornament to society and a blessing in the world."
Personal
Sumner was a highly respected individual, garnering admiration from the public as his overwhelming election to governor attests. The affection of the public may have been due in large part to his personal qualities which have been described by a contemporary as;- "His person was attractive and commanding He was of elevated stature and well proportioned His countenance was remarkable for composure and was often lighted up with a smile of peculiar sweetness. Many a young practitioner at the bar has borne testimony to the pleasure and relief he felt when he was addressing the Court in fear and trembling in catching the looks of Judge Sumner looks of encouragement and protection which never disappointed the youthful advocate. In his manners he was polite and unassuming yet dignified and manly He never forgot or compromised his dignity in any place or circle even in the moments of his greatest familiarity. His mind was naturally strong and its various powers were well balanced. He was remarkably free from every thing that had the appearance of party spirit or rancour. His candor and moderation were known to all men. He possessed an unusual degree of self command. Divesting himself of prejudice and passion he examined with deliberation and impartiality and decided with rectitude and wisdom. His cool and dispassionate temper reflects more honor on his memory inasmuch as it was less the effect of a peculiarly happy constitutional temperament than of moral discipline and culture and the benign influence of a religious principle. Humility without meanness the incontestable proof of a superior mind was a distinguishing trait in his character. No one ever heard or saw in his conversation or deportment any thing that had the appearance of pride vanity or affectation or that could be construed into an ostentatious display of his own talents virtues or services. Though raised to the highest dignity it was in the power of the citizens of the Commonwealth to bestow he was never accused or suspected of employing any unworthy arts to gain the popular favor nor of obtruding himself on the public as a candidate for places of power and trust. On the contrary such was his modesty that when he found the eyes of the community were turned upon him he appeared not a little surprised and disordered at the deep regard he drew."'
Family life
Sumner married on 30 September 1779 to Elizabeth Hyslop, daughter of William Hyslop. Upon his father-in-law's death, Sumner inherited a considerable property which allowed him to maintain a dignified lifestyle during his public service.Sumner was said to be a talented and practical farmer, an excellent horseman, and great admirer of cattle. He was fond of agriculture and personally grafted an entire orchard of fruit trees on his farm, and worked diligently to pass these skills on to his son.
He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and President of the Board of Trustees of the Roxbury Latin School
Roxbury Latin School
The Roxbury Latin School is the oldest school in continuous operation in North America. The school was founded in Roxbury, Massachusetts by the Rev. John Eliot under a charter received from King Charles I of England. Since its founding in 1645, it has educated boys on a continuous basis.Located...
.
Sumner was a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, having made a public profession of faith around the time he entered the practice of law, and became a member of the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in Roxbury under Rev Dr. Porter. After Sumner's death Rev Porter addressed Sumner's approach to faith by relating a conversation the two had on Sumner's death bed;
- "A dying bed," said he (Sumner), "is not the place for one dying to begin to attend to his religion and prepare for another world. I have not been unmindful of these concerns. I have thought much of them The more I have reflected on the subject of religion the more has my mind been settled and confirmed in its reality and importance. I am sensible that many infirmities and errors have attended me but I trust I have the testimony of my conscience to the general rectitude of my views and conduct in life."
Sumner
Sumner, Maine
Sumner is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Sumner is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 854 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of West Sumner and East Sumner....
, 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...
was named after him. Sumner left three children. His son William H. Sumner
William H. Sumner
William Hyslop Sumner was born on July 4, 1780 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Gov. Increase Sumner. W H Sumner graduated from Harvard University in 1799. He served as a General in the Massachusetts militia. Sumner wrote The History of East Boston and died in 1861.-Early...
is well known for his efforts to develop what is now East Boston and for whom the Sumner Tunnel
Sumner Tunnel
The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End but with the completion of the Big Dig,...
is named.