Samuel Shethar Phelps (May 13, 1793March 25, 1855) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a

United States senator 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 powe ...

from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, and a member of the Whig Party.

Biography

Phelps was born in

Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town. There are also three unincorpora ...

, to John Phelps (1756–1833), an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

soldier and great-great-grandson of William Phelps. Samuel S. Phelps graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1811. He studied law at

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. (Wh ...

and in the office of

Horatio Seymour Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810February 12, 1886) was an American politician. He served as Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1868 United States presidential elec ...

, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

. He served as a military paymaster during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Following the war, he settled in

Middlebury, Vermont Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. History One of ...

, and began the practice of law. Phelps began his political career serving in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

from 1821 to 1832. He was a judge on the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

from 1832 to 1838, succeeding to the position left vacant by the death of John C. Thompson. In 1839 he was elected as a Whig to the United States Senate, and he served until 1851. He chaired several committees while serving in the Senate, including the Committee on the Militia, Committee on Revolutionary Claims, Committee on Pensions, Committee on Patents and the Patent Office and the Committee on Territories. Phelps returned to the United States Senate on January 17, 1853, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Senator

William Upham William Upham (August 5, 1792January 14, 1853) was an American attorney and politician from Montpelier, Vermont. He was most notable for his service as a United States senator from Vermont. A native of Leicester, Massachusetts, Upham was rai ...

, who had died. He served until March 16, 1854, when the Senate resolved that he was not entitled to the seat on the grounds that he had been legally appointed by the

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

when the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

was not in session, but once the legislature was in session, it was incumbent on legislators to choose a successor.

Family life

Phelps was married to Frances Shurtleff Phelps and they had three children together, Edward John Phelps, James Shether Phelps and Charles Henry Phelps. Phelps later married Electa Satterlee Phelps. Edward John Phelps was prominent politician, lawyer, and diplomat.

Death

Phelps died on March 25, 1855, in Middlebury, and is interred at West Cemetery in Middlebury.

Published works

*''"Mr. Phelps’ Appeal to the People of Vermont"'' by Samuel S. Phelps, published in the ''American Whig Review 12 (July 1850): 93-98'', Middlebury, VT, 1846. *''"Mr. Phelps' Rejoinder to Mr. Slade's "Reply."", printed by J. & G.S. Gideon, Washington, ''D.C., no date, but ca 1846.

References

External links