Solomon Newton Pettis was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

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Early life

S. Newton Pettis was born in Lenox, Ohio. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1848 and commenced practice in Meadville, Pennsylvania

Meadville, Pennsylvania

Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...

. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention

1860 Republican National Convention

The 1860 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States, held in Chicago, Illinois at the Wigwam, nominated former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois for President and U.S. Senator Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for Vice President...

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Public service

He served as associate justice of the Territory of Colorado in 1861 and 1862. He returned to Meadville and continued the practice law.

Pettis was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth

40th United States Congress

The Fortieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867 to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth...

 Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Darwin A. Finney. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1868

United States House election, 1868

Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held in 1868 to elect Representatives to the 41st United States Congress. The election coincided with the presidential election of 1868, which was won by Ulysses S...

. He resumed the practice of law in Meadville.

Pettis was appointed Minister to Bolivia

United States Ambassador to Bolivia

The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Bolivia. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...

September 4, 1878, and served until November 1, 1879. He was again engaged in the practice of law until his death in Meadville in 1900. Interment in Greendale Cemetery.

Sources

• The Political Graveyard