Theodore Sedgwick
Encyclopedia
Theodore Sedgwick was an attorney, politician and jurist, who served in elected state government and as a Delegate
to the Continental Congress
, a US Representative
, and a United States Senator
from Massachusetts
. He served as the fifth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
. He was appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
in 1802 and served there the rest of his life.
His grandfather was Samuel Sedgwick, great-grandfather was William Sedgwick, and great-great-grandfather was 1636 settler Major General Robert Sedgwick
.
Sedgwick attended Yale College
, where he studied theology
and law
. He did not graduate, but went on to study law ("read law") under Mark Hopkins of Great Barrington, who was the grandfather of the Mark Hopkins
who was later president of Williams College
.
. He moved to Sheffield
. During the American Revolutionary War
, he served in the Continental Army
as a major, and took part in the expedition to Canada
and the Battle of White Plains
in 1776.
. She was born June 9, 1752 and died September 20, 1807, and was the daughter of Brigadier General
Joseph Dwight of Great Barrington and his second wife, the widow Abigail Williams Sargent. Abigail was the daughter of Colonel
Ephraim Williams, and half-sister of Ephraim Williams
, Jr. the founder of Williams College.
The Sedgwicks had ten children, although three died within a year of birth, reflecting the high infant mortality of the time. They were:
, Sedgwick began his political career in 1780 as a Delegate to the Continental Congress. He was elected as representative to the state house, and then as state senator.
In 1789 Sedgwick was elected as US Representative to the US Congress from the First District of Massachusetts, and over time also represented the Second districts, serving until 1796. That year he was elected as US Senator, and served until 1799. In 1799 he was re-elected as a Representative, this time from the Fourth District, and was elected the fifth Speaker of the House, serving until March 1801.
In 1802, Sedgwick was appointed a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. He held this position until his death in Boston, Massachusetts in 1813. He was buried in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
, and his grave is at the center of the "Sedgwick Pie
".
pled the case of Brom and Bett vs. Ashley (1781), an early "freedom suit", in county court for the slaves Elizabeth Freeman (known as Bett) and Brom. Bett was a black slave who had fled from her master, Colonel John Ashley of Sheffield, Massachusetts
, because of cruel treatment by his wife. Brom joined her in suing for freedom from the Ashleys. The attorneys challenged their enslavement under the new state constitution of 1780, which held that "all men are born free and equal
." The jury agreed and ruled that Bett and Brom were free. The decision was upheld on appeal by the state Supreme Court
.
Bett marked her freedom by taking the name of Elizabeth Freeman, and she chose to work for wages at the Sedgwick household, where she helped rear their several children. She worked there for much of the rest of her life, buying a separate house for her and her daughter after the Sedgwick children were grown. The Sedgwicks had Freeman buried in their family plot
. The family marked Freeman's grave with an inscribed monument, and it is beside that of their daughter Catharine Maria Sedgwick
.
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, a US Representative
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 a United States Senator
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...
from Massachusetts
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 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
. He was 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:...
in 1802 and served there the rest of his life.
Early life and education
His father was Benjaman Sedgwick who was born November 7, 1716 and died February 7, 1755.His grandfather was Samuel Sedgwick, great-grandfather was William Sedgwick, and great-great-grandfather was 1636 settler Major General Robert Sedgwick
Robert Sedgwick
Major General Robert Sedgwick was an English colonist, born 1611 in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, and baptised on May 6, 1613.-Biography:...
.
Sedgwick attended 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:...
, where he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He did not graduate, but went on to study law ("read law") under Mark Hopkins of Great Barrington, who was the grandfather of the Mark Hopkins
Mark Hopkins (educator)
Mark Hopkins was an American educator and theologian.-Life and career:Great-nephew of the theologian Samuel Hopkins, Mark Hopkins was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts...
who was later president of Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
.
Early career
Sedgwick was admitted to the bar in 1766 and commenced practice in Great Barrington, MassachusettsGreat Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
. He moved to Sheffield
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to...
. 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...
, he served in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
as a major, and took part in the expedition to Canada
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
and the Battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
in 1776.
Marriage and family
After his first wife died, Sedgwick married again on April 17, 1774 (his second), Pamela Dwight of the New England Dwight familyNew England Dwight family
The New England Dwight family had many members who were military leaders, educators, jurists, authors, businessmen and clergymen.Around 1634 John Dwight came with his wife Hannah, daughter Hannah, and sons Timothy Dwight and John Dwight, from Dedham, Essex, England to North America where the town...
. She was born June 9, 1752 and died September 20, 1807, and was the daughter of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Joseph Dwight of Great Barrington and his second wife, the widow Abigail Williams Sargent. Abigail was the daughter of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Ephraim Williams, and half-sister of Ephraim Williams
Ephraim Williams
Ephraim Williams Jr. was a soldier from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was killed in the French and Indian War. He was the benefactor of Williams College, located in northwestern Massachusetts.-Early life:...
, Jr. the founder of Williams College.
The Sedgwicks had ten children, although three died within a year of birth, reflecting the high infant mortality of the time. They were:
- Elizabeth Mason Sedgwick was born April 30, 1775, married Thaddeus Pomeroy, and died October 15, 1827.
- A child died in birth March 27, 1777.
- Frances Pamela Sedgwick was born May 6, 1778, married Ebenezer Watson and died June 20, 1842.
- Theodore Sedgwick II was born December 9, 1780, became a lawyer, and died 1839. He married Susan Anne LivingsonSusan Anne Ridley SedgwickSusan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick was a 19th Century American writer specializing in children's novels. She is also painted a watercolor-on-ivory portrait of an ex-slave who came to work for her family....
(1788–1867), and their son Theodore SedgwickTheodore Sedgwick (writer)Theodore Sedgwick was an American law writer.He was born at Albany, New York and graduated from Columbia College in 1829. In 1858, he became United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was the son of Theodore Sedgwick II and Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick , a writer,...
(1811–1859), was a lawyer and author. - Catherine Sedgwick was born July 11, 1782 but died March 4, 1783.
- Henry Dwight Sedgwick was April 18, 1874 but died March 1, 1785.
- Henry Dwight Sedgwick was September 22, 1785, married Jane Minot (1795–1859) and died December 23, 1831. Their grandson was also a lawyer, Henry Dwight SedgwickHenry Dwight SedgwickHenry Dwight Sedgwick III was an American lawyer and author.-Early life and career:Sedgwick was in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the second child of Henry Dwight Sedgwick II and Henrietta Ellery . On his paternal grandmother's side, he was part of the New England Dwight family...
III (1861–1957). - Catharine Maria SedgwickCatharine SedgwickCatharine Maria Sedgwick , was an American novelist of what is now referred to as "domestic fiction". She promoted Republican motherhood.-Biography:...
was born December 28, 1789, became one of the first noted female writers in the United States, and died July 31, 1867. - Charles Sedgwick was born December 15, 1791, became clerk of Massachucetts Supreme Court, married Elizabeth Buckminster Dwight (1801–1864), and died August 3, 1856. Their grandson was anatomist Charles Sedgwick MinotCharles Sedgwick MinotCharles Sedgwick Minot was an American anatomist.-Life:Charles Sedgwick Minot was born December 25, 1852 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. His mother was Catharine "Kate" Maria Sedgwick and father was William Minot II...
(1852–1914).
Political career
A FederalistFederalist
The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...
, Sedgwick began his political career in 1780 as a Delegate to the Continental Congress. He was elected as representative to the state house, and then as state senator.
In 1789 Sedgwick was elected as US Representative to the US Congress from the First District of Massachusetts, and over time also represented the Second districts, serving until 1796. That year he was elected as US Senator, and served until 1799. In 1799 he was re-elected as a Representative, this time from the Fourth District, and was elected the fifth Speaker of the House, serving until March 1801.
In 1802, Sedgwick was appointed a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. He held this position until his death in Boston, Massachusetts in 1813. He was buried in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
, and his grave is at the center of the "Sedgwick Pie
Sedgwick Pie
The "Sedgwick Pie" is one of the more unusual family cemetery plots in the United States. It is the family burial plot of the Sedgwick family in Stockbridge Cemetery, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and gets its nickname from its shape and layout.-Description:...
".
Freedom suit
As a relatively young lawyer, Sedgwick with Tapping ReeveTapping Reeve
Tapping Reeve was an American lawyer and law educator. In 1784, he opened the Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut, the first school to offer a comprehensive legal curriculum in the United States....
pled the case of Brom and Bett vs. Ashley (1781), an early "freedom suit", in county court for the slaves Elizabeth Freeman (known as Bett) and Brom. Bett was a black slave who had fled from her master, Colonel John Ashley of Sheffield, Massachusetts
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to...
, because of cruel treatment by his wife. Brom joined her in suing for freedom from the Ashleys. The attorneys challenged their enslavement under the new state constitution of 1780, which held that "all men are born free and equal
All men are created equal
The quotation "All men are created equal" has been called an "immortal declaration", and "perhaps" the single phrase of the United States Revolutionary period with the greatest "continuing importance". Thomas Jefferson first used the phrase in the Declaration of Independence as a rebuttal to the...
." The jury agreed and ruled that Bett and Brom were free. The decision was upheld on appeal by the state Supreme 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:...
.
Bett marked her freedom by taking the name of Elizabeth Freeman, and she chose to work for wages at the Sedgwick household, where she helped rear their several children. She worked there for much of the rest of her life, buying a separate house for her and her daughter after the Sedgwick children were grown. The Sedgwicks had Freeman buried in their family plot
Sedgwick Pie
The "Sedgwick Pie" is one of the more unusual family cemetery plots in the United States. It is the family burial plot of the Sedgwick family in Stockbridge Cemetery, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and gets its nickname from its shape and layout.-Description:...
. The family marked Freeman's grave with an inscribed monument, and it is beside that of their daughter Catharine Maria Sedgwick
Catharine Sedgwick
Catharine Maria Sedgwick , was an American novelist of what is now referred to as "domestic fiction". She promoted Republican motherhood.-Biography:...
.