Eli Porter Ashmun (June 24, 1770May 10, 1819) was a
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of de ...
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
from
from 1816 to 1818.
Early years
Eli Porter Ashmun was the eldest child of Justus and Kezia Ashmun. He was born in the vicinity of
Fort Edward, New York, from whence the family fled in 1777 during the advance of British troops of
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several bat ...
in the
Saratoga campaign of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. They settled in
Blandford, Massachusetts
Blandford is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,215 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was the home of the Blandford Ski Area.
History ...
, where Ashmun's father operated the tavern. Ashmun's education was quite rudimentary, but he was taken under wing by
Theodore Sedgwick
Theodore Sedgwick (May 9, 1746January 24, 1813) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served in elected state government and as a delegate to the Continental Congress, a U.S. representative, and a senator from Massachusetts. H ...
, who gave him legal training. He was eventually admitted to the bar, and opened the first legal practice in Blandford. He married Lucy Hooker, daughter of John Hooker of
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
, with whom he had five children.
In 1807, Ashmun was awarded an honorary degree by
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
, and moved to Northampton where he continued his law practice.
Political career
In 1807, Ashmun won election to the
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
, serving from 1808 to 1810. In 1816, he served with the
Massachusetts Governor's Council
The Massachusetts Governor's Council (also known as the Executive Council) is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matterssuch as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutationsto the Governor of Massachusetts. Council ...
. Following the resignation of
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
Christopher Gore
Christopher Gore (September 21, 1758 – March 1, 1827) was a prominent Massachusetts lawyer, Federalist politician, and U.S. diplomat. Born into a family divided by the American Revolution, Gore sided with the victorious Patriots, establis ...
, he was elected by the state legislature to replace him, serving from June 12, 1816, to May 10, 1818. He died in 1819, possibly of heart disease, and is interred in Northampton's
Bridge Street Cemetery.
Ashmun was the father of
George Ashmun
George Ashmun (December 25, 1804 – July 16, 1870) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
Ashmun was born in Blandford, Massachusetts to Eli P. Ashmun and Lucy Hooker. He graduated from Yale in 1823 and wa ...
(1804–1870), who served in the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, and of John Hooker Ashmun. The latter served as a partner in his father's law practice, and operated the Northampton Law School for several years. He then became a prominent legal instructor at
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
.
References
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Political Graveyard
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashmun, Eli P.
1770 births
1819 deaths
People from Washington County, New York
People of the Province of New York
American people of English descent
Federalist Party United States senators from Massachusetts
Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts Federalists
Massachusetts state senators
People from Blandford, Massachusetts
Middlebury College alumni