Thomas D. Eliot
Encyclopedia
Thomas Dawes Eliot, was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Massachusetts
. He was born in Boston on March 20, 1808. Eliot was named after his grandfather Justice Thomas Dawes of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Eliot attended the public schools of Washington, D.C.
, and graduated from George Washington University (now George Washington University
in 1825. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in New Bedford, Massachusetts
.
In 1834 Eliot married Frances L. Brock of Nantucket.
Eliot served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, and served in the Massachusetts State Senate. He was elected as a Whig
to the Thirty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Zeno Scudder
and served from April 17, 1854, to March 3, 1855. He declined to be a candidate for renomination. Eliot was a delegate to the Free Soil Convention in Worcester
in 1855.
He declined to be a candidate for nomination by the Republican
for Attorney General of Massachusetts in 1857. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1859-March 3, 1869). Eliot served as Chairman of the Committee on the Freedmen’s Bureau (Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses), and the Committee on Commerce
(Fortieth Congress). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1868. He resumed the practice of law and died on June 14, 1870. His interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery.
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...
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 was born in Boston on March 20, 1808. Eliot was named after his grandfather Justice Thomas Dawes of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Eliot attended the public schools of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and graduated from George Washington University (now George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1825. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
.
In 1834 Eliot married Frances L. Brock of Nantucket.
Eliot served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, and served in the Massachusetts State Senate. He was elected as 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...
to the Thirty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Zeno Scudder
Zeno Scudder
Zeno Scudder was the son of Deacon Josiah and Hannah Scudder. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. He was born in Osterville, Massachusetts on August 18, 1807. He wanted to follow the sea, but a paralysis of his right leg made that impossible...
and served from April 17, 1854, to March 3, 1855. He declined to be a candidate for renomination. Eliot was a delegate to the Free Soil Convention in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
in 1855.
He declined to be a candidate for nomination by the 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...
for Attorney General of Massachusetts in 1857. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1859-March 3, 1869). Eliot served as Chairman of the Committee on the Freedmen’s Bureau (Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses), and the Committee on Commerce
United States House Committee on Commerce
The United States House Committee on Commerce was a standing committee of the U.S. House from 1819 until 1892; it was established when the previous Committee on Commerce and Manufactures, which has existed since 1795, was split into two different committees...
(Fortieth Congress). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1868. He resumed the practice of law and died on June 14, 1870. His interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery.
