Seth Merrill Gates was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 lawyer, born at Winfield, New York

Winfield, New York

Winfield is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,202 at the 2000 census. The town is named after General Winfield Scott.The Town of Winfield is in the southwest corner of the county and is south of Utica....

. He was admitted to the bar

Bar association

A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...

 in 1827, and was a member of the State Assembly in 1832. A Whig

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...

, he was an antislavery member of the twenty-sixth and twenty seventh U. S. Congresses from 1839 to 1843. In 1843 he drafted the protest signed by the Whigs in Congress against the annexation of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. In 1848, on the Barnburners

Barnburners and Hunkers

The Barnburners were the more radical faction of the New York state Democratic Party in the mid 19th century. The term barnburner was derived from the idea of someone who would burn down his own barn to get rid of a rat infestation, in this case those who would destroy all banks and corporations,...

 and Free Soil

Free Soil Party

The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...

 ticket, and in 1852, on the Free Democratic ticket, he was twice an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Lieutenant Governor of New York

The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...

. Due to his pronounced hostility to slavery, a southern planter offered $500 for his apprehension. His house

Seth M. Gates House

Seth M. Gates House is a historic home located at Warsaw in Wyoming County, New York. It is a two story, wood frame dwelling built in 1824 and expanded in about 1843. It started as a two story, five bay dwelling and the expansion added two bays on the north end. It features a Federal style...

 at Warsaw, New York

Warsaw (village), New York

Warsaw is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. It is the county seat of Wyoming County and lies inside the Town of Warsaw. The village of Warsaw is near the center of the town in a valley. The population was 3,814 at the 2000 census. A branch of Genesee Community College is in Warsaw.-...

 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1992.

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