Nathaniel Littlefield (September 20, 1804 – August 15, 1882) was a

United States representative 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

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Biography

Nathaniel Swett Littlefield was born in Wells, Massachusetts (now in

) on September 20, 1804. He attended the common schools, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1827 and commenced practice in Bridgton. He served as postmaster from 1827 to 1841, and held local office, including selectman. He was appointed secretary of the

Maine State Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution ...

. He was elected to the Maine Senate, and served 1837 to 1839. In 1838 he served as the Senate's President pro Tempore. Littlefield was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Twenty-seventh Congress The 27th 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. between March 4, 1 ...

(March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843) from

Maine's 5th congressional district Maine's 5th congressional district was a congressional district in Maine. It was created in 1821 after Maine achieved statehood in 1820. It was eliminated in 1883. Its last congressman was Thompson Henry Murch Thompson Henry Murch (March 28, ...

. After his term he returned to Bridgton and resumed the practice of law. He was elected to the

Thirty-first Congress The 31st 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, 1849, ...

, March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, from Maine's 2nd district and served as chairman of the Agriculture Committee. He was not a candidate for renomination to the

Thirty-second Congress The 32nd 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, 1851, ...

. Littlefield was elected a member of the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

in 1854, and was a delegate to the 1866

National Union Convention The National Union Convention (also known as the Loyalist Convention, the Southern Loyalist Convention, the National Loyalists' Loyal Union Convention, or the Arm-In-Arm Convention) was held on August 14, 15, and 16 1866, in Philadelphia, Pennsylva ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He died in Bridgton on August 15, 1882. His interment was in the High Street Cemetery. In Bridgton he became notorious for his actions against the Anti-Slavery society begun by Parson Joseph P. Fessenden, uncle of

William Pitt Fessenden William Pitt Fessenden (October 16, 1806September 8, 1869) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. Fessenden was a Whig (later a Republican) and member of the Fessenden political family. He served in the United States House o ...

. Littlefield's efforts culminated in an 1835 attack on a meeting held in the old town hall, for which he was fined $25 by the court of Common Pleas.

References

. 1804 births 1882 deaths People from Wells, Maine People from Bridgton, Maine Presidents of the Maine Senate Maine lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers {{Maine-politician-stub