Daniel Sheldon Norton (April 12, 1829July 13, 1870) was an American
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
and
politician who served in the
Minnesota State Senate and as a
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from Minnesota.
Life and career
Norton was born in
Mount Vernon, Ohio to Daniel Sheldon and Sarah Sheldon (née Banning). He had a brother,
Anthony Banning Norton
Anthony Banning Norton (May 15, 1821 – December 31, 1893) was an American journalist, historian and state politician. He was the publisher of newspapers in Ohio and Texas, and a Know Nothing member of the Texas House of Representatives. He l ...
, who also became a politician.
He attended
Kenyon College but left school to serve with the 2nd Ohio Volunteers in the
Mexican–American War. After returning from the war he studied law under his brother-in-law Judge Rollin C. Hurd. For several years he moved to
California and
Nicaragua but he returned to Ohio in 1852 and was
admitted to the bar shortly thereafter. He practiced law in Mount Vernon for several years before he moving to
Minnesota Territory in 1855.
After initially living in
St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
, Norton eventually settled in
Winona, Minnesota. In 1857 Norton was elected to the Minnesota State Senate for its first legislative session. He was reelected in 1860 and 1863 serving four total terms in seven years. In 1865 the state legislature elected him to the US Senate where he served in the
39th and
40th congresses. Initially elected as a
Unionist, Norton later aligned himself with the more moderate Republican faction in the senate. He supported President
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
's stance on
reconstruction and opposed his
impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
. This led to tension with the more radical Republicans of Minnesota who passed a resolution censuring Norton for his actions and calling for his resignation.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Daniel Sheldon
1829 births
1870 deaths
People from Mount Vernon, Ohio
Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Republican Party Minnesota state senators
Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
19th-century American politicians