Samuel Dexter (17261810) was an early American politician from
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...
.
Personal life
Born in 1726 in Dedham, he did not wish to follow his father, also named
Samuel Dexter
Samuel Dexter (May 14, 1761May 4, 1816) was an early American statesman who served both in Congress and in the Presidential Cabinets of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Dexter was an 1881 graduate of Harvard ...
, into the ministry at
First Church and Parish in Dedham
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 ...
. He married Hannah Sigourney in 1748. His son, the third
Samuel Dexter
Samuel Dexter (May 14, 1761May 4, 1816) was an early American statesman who served both in Congress and in the Presidential Cabinets of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Dexter was an 1881 graduate of Harvard ...
, served in the administrations of
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
and
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
.
Career
Dexter moved from Dedham to Boston and earned "a modest fortune" with his "mercantile pursuits." He retired back to Dedham in 1761 at the age of 36 to build the
Samuel Dexter House
The Samuel Dexter House is a historic house at 699 High Street, Dedham, Massachusetts. It was built, beginning in July 1761, by Samuel Dexter, a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.
Dexter purchased the property on which the house st ...
. The house still stands today at 699 High Street.
Political career
After retiring to Dedham, he was active in the community for the next 13 years. He was active politically during the Revolutionary War and kept a diary of his thoughts about the day's events. During this time he served in the
Massachusetts Provincial Congress
The Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1780) was a provisional government created in the Province of Massachusetts Bay early in the American Revolution. Based on the terms of the colonial charter, it exercised ''de facto'' control over the ...
. He served in 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 1764 to 1767 and again in 1765, and 1785. From 1768 to 1774, he was a Governor's Councillor. He was a selectman for five terms beginning in 1764, moderator, justice of the peace, and town clerk in 1761. He was
town clerk
A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
spent the night of April 4, 1776 at Dexter's home on his way to New York. In December 1771, Dexter hosted
John Hancock
John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the ...
and
Jason Haven Jason Haven (March 2, 1733 – May 17, 1803) was the longest serving minister of the First Church and Parish in Dedham.
Personal life
Haven was born on March 2, 1733, in Framingham, Massachusetts. He was graduated from Harvard College in 1754. Whil ...
, his minister and brother-in-law, for dinner. In July 1771, he invited Governor Thomas Hutchinson and several members of the Council to dinner.
On the morning of April 19, 1775, a messenger came "down the Needham road" with news about the battle in Lexington. He stopped at the home of Samuel Dexter and ran up to the front door. Dexter met him at the front door and, upon hearing the news, nearly fainted. He had to be helped back into his house.
Dexter believed that it was suicidal for a group of militiamen to face off against the British Army. Instead, he favored having them retreat to the interior to train before facing off against the redcoats. He was accused of not being sufficiently devoted to the patriot cause but was too proud to fight back.
He resigned all his positions in the autumn of 1775 in ill health and moved to
Woodstock, Connecticut
Woodstock is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,221 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
17th century
In the mid-17th century, John Eliot (m ...
. In his will he left $170 to the
Dedham Public Schools
The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK– 12 graded school district in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States.
History
On January 2, 1643, the Town Meeting set aside land for ...