Nathan Sanford (November 5, 1777 – October 17, 1838) was an American politician.

Early life

Sanford was born on November 5, 1777, in

Bridgehampton Bridgehampton is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork, Suffolk County, New York, South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,7 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Baker) Sanford, a family of farmers and tradesmen. He attended Yale University, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in New York City.

Career

In 1803, he was appointed as United States Attorney for the District of New York, and remained in office until 1815 when the district was split into the

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

and the Southern District of New York. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

in 1808-09 and

1811 Events January–March * January 8 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes, in St. Charles and St. James Parishes, Louisiana. * January 17 – Mexican War of Independence – Battle of Calderón Brid ...

. In 1811, he was elected Speaker on January 29, but could not attend the session after February 10 because of ill health. The Assembly moved to elect a new Speaker and proceeded to the election of William Ross. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(Southern D.) from 1812 to 1815, sitting in the

35th Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

, 36th, 37th and

38th New York State Legislature The 38th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from September 26, 1814, to April 18, 1815, during the eighth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany. Background Un ...

s. In

1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...

, he was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1821. He was Chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures (

15th 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...

and

16th United States Congress The 16th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819, ...

es), and a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs (15th Congress) and the Committee on Finance (16th Congress). In

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 28 – Alexander Island, the largest in Antarctica, is first discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Be ...

, he ran for re-election as a Clintonian, but was defeated by

Bucktail Bucktail may refer to: * Bucktails, the name of a political faction in New York State or the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves, an American Civil War unit *Bucktail State Park Natural Area, Pennsylvania * Bucktail, Nebraska, an unincorporated community *B ...

Martin Van Buren. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821, and was Chancellor of New York from 1823 to 1826. In

1824 May 7: The almost completely deaf Beethoven premieres his Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) , Ninth Symphony Events January–March * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of the Royal Society, ...

, he received 30 electoral votes for

U.S. Vice President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...

. In

1826 Events January–March * January 15 – The French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' begins publication in Paris, initially as a weekly. * January 30 – The Menai Suspension Bridge, built by engineer Thomas Telford, is opened between the island o ...

, he resigned the chancellorship after his nomination in caucus, and was elected again to the U.S. Senate. He took his seat on January 31, 1826, and served until March 3, 1831. He was Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations (

19th United States Congress The 19th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1825, ...

). Afterwards he resumed the practice of law in Flushing, New York.

Personal life

Sanford was married three times. His first marriage was to Elizabeth "Eliza" Van Horn (1780–1811). His residence in Flushing, "Sanford Hall", became a private insane asylum in 1845, run by Dr. James Macdonald, MD and Gen.

Allan Macdonald Allan Macdonald (November 21, 1794 White Plains, Westchester County, New York – January 1862) was an American politician from New York. Life He was the son of Dr. Archibald Macdonald (d. 1813), a native of Scotland. Allan Macdonald was Postm ...

. Together, Nathan and Eliza were the parents of several children, including: * Edward Sanford (1805–1876), a New York State Senator. * Eliza Sanford, who married John Le Breton. * Charles Sanford. * Henry Sanford. After his first wife's death in 1811, Sanford was remarried to Mary Esther Malbone Isaacs (1790–1816), the eldest daughter of Col. Ralph Isaacs and Elizabeth (née Sebor) Isaacs, in 1813. Together, they were the parents of two children: * Mary Sanford (1814–1841), who married Peter Gansevoort (1788–1876), also a New York State Senator. * Henry Sanford (1816–1832), who died young. After his second wife's death, he remarried for a third time to Mary Buchanan (1800–1879), whom he married in May 1828. Together, they were the parents of: * Robert Sanford (1831–1908), a Union College and New York Law School graduate. He died in Flushing on October 17, 1838, and was buried at St. George's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Flushing.

References

External links

* * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanford, Nathan 1777 births 1838 deaths People from Bridgehampton, New York American people of English descent Democratic-Republican Party United States senators from New York (state) National Republican Party United States senators from New York (state) New York (state) Democratic-Republicans New York (state) National Republicans Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1824 United States vice-presidential candidates Speakers of the New York State Assembly New York (state) state senators Chancellors of New York (state) People from Flushing, Queens United States Attorneys for the District of New York Yale University alumni