Samuel Dana (June 26, 1767 – November 20, 1835) was an American lawyer and politician who served in both branches of the
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from th ...
, as
President of the Massachusetts Senate
The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ''ex officio'' president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president of ...
and as 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
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
.
Early life and education
Dana was born in
Groton in the
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of ...
on June 26, 1767, the son of the clergyman
Samuel and Anna (Kenrick) Dana.
Dana attended the local public schools and later studied law in the office of
United States District Court Judge John Lowell
John Lowell (June 17, 1743 – May 6, 1802) was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, a Judge of the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture under the Articles of Confederation, a United States district judge of the United States Distr ...
, and was then admitted to the bar in 1789.
Career
Dana practiced law in
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. It is home to two prep schools: Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1 ...
and later in
Charlestown, Massachusetts.
On October 14, 1811 Dana also was appointed as the Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas, he held that position for nine years.
Dana was appointed postmaster January 1, 1801, he served as a member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
in 1803
in the
State senate
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
and served as
President of the Massachusetts Senate
The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ''ex officio'' president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president of ...
. Dana served as attorney for
Middlesex County from 1807 to 1811.
Member of Congress
Dana was elected as a
Democratic-Republican
The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...
to the
Thirteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
William M. Richardson. Dana served from September 22, 1814 to March 3, 1815. Dana was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1814 to the
Fourteenth Congress.
Later life
After his congressional service Dana resumed the practice law. Dana was a delegate to the State
constitutional convention in 1820.
Dana was again a member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
from 1825-1827.
Personal life
On December 5, 1795, Dana was married to Rebecca Barrett of
New Ipswich, New Hampshire
New Ipswich is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,204 at the 2020 census. New Ipswich, situated on the Massachusetts border, includes the villages of Bank, Davis, Gibson Four Corners, Highbridge, New ...
. Together, they had eight children, including a son, James Dana.
Dana died in
Charlestown, Massachusetts on November 20, 1835.
Dana was buried in Groton Cemetery.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dana, Samuel
Massachusetts state senators
Massachusetts lawyers
Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate
Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
1767 births
1835 deaths
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
People from Groton, Massachusetts
19th-century American lawyers