Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (March 26, 1740 – August 7, 1809) was an American
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
who served as the 20th
governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...
, the second
speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the 24th
Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
The following is a list of lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut.
Lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut, 1776–present
Notes
References
;Constitutions
*
*
*
;Specific
External linksOfficial website of the L ...
.
He is often confused with his younger brother,
John Trumbull, a famous artist during the revolutionary war and early years of the United States.
Early life
Trumbull was born in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, the second son of
Jonathan Trumbull Sr. (the eventual
Governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...
) and his wife Faith Robinson, daughter of Rev. John Robinson. Trumbull graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1759, and gave the valedictory address when he received his master's degree in 1762. His brother
John Trumbull was a noted painter of the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
.
Career
State and local office
Carrying on the family's tradition of public service, Trumbull began with town and colony offices: lister, grand juror, surveyor of highways, justice of the peace, and selectman. In 1774 he was elected deputy. the first of seven terms representing Lebanon. He served in the state legislature three times; from 1774 to 1775, from 1779 to 1780, and in 1788, serving as
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
in 1788.
Revolutionary War
Trumbull served in the Continental Army as paymaster general of the Northern Department from July 28, 1775 to July 29, 1778. In February 1781, he was given the rank of
lieutenant colonel. He was included in the general orders of June 8, 1781: "Jonathan Trumbull. Esqr., Junior, is appointed Secretary to the Commander in Chief and to be respected accordingly." He served for the duration of the war as
aide-de-camp to General George Washington until December 28, 1783. After the war, he became an original member of the Connecticut
Society of the Cincinnati.
United States Congress
Elected to the
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
,
Second, and
Third Congresses, Trumbull served in the
United States 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 ...
from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1795. He was the Speaker of the House in the Second Congress, both preceded and succeeded by
Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg. He did not seek re-election for a fourth term and instead ran for the
United States Senate
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 pow ...
.
When Trumbull was elected to the United States Senate, he served from March 4, 1795 to June 10, 1796.
Governor of Connecticut
On June 10, 1796, he resigned from the United States Senate to become
Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
The following is a list of lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut.
Lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut, 1776–present
Notes
References
;Constitutions
*
*
*
;Specific
External linksOfficial website of the L ...
. When the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
died in December 1797, he became governor and was re-elected to eleven consecutive terms until his death in Lebanon, Connecticut.
Personal life
![Jonathan Trumbull Jr with Mrs Trumbull and Faith Trumbull by John Trumbull](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Jonathan_Trumbull_Jr_with_Mrs_Trumbull_and_Faith_Trumbull_by_John_Trumbull.jpeg)
Trumbull married Eunice Backus. Together, they had one son and four daughters:
*Jonathan Trumbull (b. December 24, 1767, d. January 14, 1768), who died young
*Faith Trumbull (b. February 1, 1769), who married
Daniel Wadsworth
Daniel Wadsworth (1771–1848) of Hartford, Connecticut, was an American amateur artist and architect, arts patron and traveler. He is most remembered as the founder of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in his native city.
Early life and e ...
(1771–1848), an artist and architect
*Mary Trumbull (b. December 27, 1777)
*Harriet Trumbull Silliman (b. September 2, 1783, d. January 1850), who married
Benjamin Silliman
Benjamin Silliman (August 8, 1779 – November 24, 1864) was an early American chemist and science educator. He was one of the first American professors of science, at Yale College, the first person to use the process of fractional distillation ...
(1779–1864), a scientist.
*
Maria Trumbull (b. February 14, 1785).
He was elected a Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
in 1804.
Trumbull died August 7, 1809, aged 69 years and 134 days. He is interred at Trumbull Cemetery, Lebanon, Connecticut.
He was one of the original members of the board of trustees of
Bacon Academy.
See also
*
Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders on the cities of Bridgeport and Shelton and the towns of Stratford, Fairfield, Easton and Monroe. The population was 36,827 during the 2020 census. Trumbul ...
*
Trumbull County, Ohio
References
External links
*
National Governors AssociationThe American Revolution InstituteThe Society of the Cincinnati
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trumbull, Jonathan Jr.
1740 births
1809 deaths
Continental Army staff officers
United States Army paymasters
Governors of Connecticut
Members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut
Speakers of the United States House of Representatives
United States senators from Connecticut
American people of English descent
Harvard College alumni
Connecticut Federalists
Federalist Party United States senators
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Federalist Party state governors of the United States
Military personnel from Connecticut
Aides-de-camp of George Washington
People from Lebanon, Connecticut
People of colonial Connecticut
Burials in Connecticut