William Upham (August 5, 1792January 14, 1853) was an American attorney and politician from
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population ...
. He was most notable for his service as 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 ...
.
A native of
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States Census.
History
What is now Leicester was originally settled by the Nipmuc people and was known by them as ''Towtaid''. On January 27 ...
, Upham was raised in Leicester and Montpelier, where his family moved in 1802. He was educated locally and worked on the family farm until he lost his right hand in an accident when he was fifteen. He then completed an academic course at Montpelier Academy and with local tutors in preparation to
study law. He 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 ...
in 1811 and practiced in Montpelier. Upham was an advocate for reform causes including temperance and the abolition of slavery, and changed his party affiliation several times as the anti-slavery movement grew and coalesced, going from the
National Republicans
The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans, was a political party in the United States that evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John Q ...
to the
Anti-Masonic Party to the
Whigs in the 1830s. He was a leader of both the Anti-Masons and the Whigs, represented Montpelier in the
Vermont House of Representatives twice (1827–1829, 1830–1831), and served a term as
State's Attorney of
Washington County (1829–1830).
In 1842, Upham was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 1848 and served from March 4, 1843 until his death. As a senator, Upham opposed U.S. involvement in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
and the extension of slavery. He became ill in late 1852, and died in Washington, D.C., on January 14, 1853. He was believed to have contracted
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
and was assumed to be contagious. As a result, his funeral was held quickly, and he was buried at
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...
in Washington rather than being returned to Vermont for burial.
Early life
William Upham was born in
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States Census.
History
What is now Leicester was originally settled by the Nipmuc people and was known by them as ''Towtaid''. On January 27 ...
, on August 5, 1792, a son of Samuel Upham and Martha "Patty" (Livermore) Upham.
[Edmund Rice (1638) Association, 2009. Descendants of Edmund Rice: The First Nine Generations.] He moved with his family to
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population ...
, in 1802.
Upham worked on his family's farm and attended the district schools until age 15, when he sustained an injury after catching his hand in a
cider mill
A cider mill, also known as a cidery, is the location and equipment used to crush apples into apple juice for use in making apple cider, hard cider, applejack, apple wine, pectin and other products derived from apples. More specifically, it r ...
; all the fingers of his right hand were crushed, resulting in the amputation of his whole hand, including the fingers and palm.
Upham then followed an academic course with the intent of pursuing a professional career, and attended Montpelier Academy and classes with two private tutors.
He attended the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...
, then
studied law, first with Cyrus Ward, then with
Samuel Prentiss.
In 1835, the university awarded Upham the
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
of
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
.
Early career
Upham 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 ...
in 1811 and commenced practice in Montpelier in partnership with
Nicholas Baylies
Nicholas Baylies (April 9, 1768April 14, 1847) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1831 to 1833.
Biography
Nicholas Baylies was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts on April 9, 1768, th ...
, which they maintained for several years, after which Upham practiced as the senior partner of his own firm.
In addition to maintaining a successful practice, Upham also guided the efforts of several prospective lawyers who studied in his office, including
Peter T. Washburn
Peter Thacher Washburn (September 7, 1814 – February 7, 1870) was a Vermont lawyer, politician and soldier. A veteran of the American Civil War, he served as the 31st governor of Vermont as a Republican from 1869 to 1870, and was the first Ver ...
.
Upham became active in politics as a member of the
National Republican Party and was an advocate for several reform causes including the abolition of slavery and the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
. He was a member of the
Vermont House of Representatives from 1827 to 1829 and was
State's Attorney for
Washington County from 1829 to 1830.
In 1830 he was again elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, and he served until 1831.
In the early 1830s, Upham joined the new
Anti-Masonic Party and he served as president of its 1832 Vermont state convention.
In 1834, Upham was the unsuccessful
Whig and Anti-Masonic nominee for the
United States House of Representatives
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 ...
in Vermont's 5th District.
The highest finishers were the
Democratic nominee,
Isaac Fletcher Isaac Fletcher may refer to:
*Isaac Fletcher (American politician)
Isaac Fletcher (November 22, 1784 – October 19, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont and as Adjutant General of the Ve ...
and Upham.
Because neither received a majority, a second election was held; Upham declined to continue as a candidate, and the election was won by Whig and Anti-Mason
Henry Fisk Janes
Henry Fisk Janes (October 10, 1792 – June 6, 1879) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont.
Biography
Janes was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts and moved with his parents to Calais, Vermont ...
, who defeated Fletcher. In the mid 1830s, Upham served as chairman of Vermont's Whig Party. In 1838, he was again an unsuccessful candidate for Congress, losing to Isaac Fletcher. In 1840, he campaigned throughout the state for
Whig presidential nominee
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...
, who was elected.
United States senator
In 1842 Samuel Prentiss resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate in order to accept appointment as judge of the
United States District Court for the District of Vermont
The United States District Court for the District of Vermont (in case citations, D. Vt.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction is the federal district of Vermont. The court has locations in Brattleboro, ...
.
Samuel C. Crafts
Samuel Chandler Crafts (October 6, 1768November 19, 1853) was a United States representative, Senator and the 12th governor of Vermont.
Early life
Born in Woodstock in the Colony of Connecticut, Crafts graduated from Harvard College in 1790 ...
was appointed to fill the vacancy, and served until the end of the term to which Prentiss had been elected, April 23, 1842, to March 3, 1843.
Crafts was not a candidate for a full term, and Upham was the successful
Whig candidate for the seat.
He was reelected in 1848 and served from March 4, 1843, until his death.
While in the Senate, he was chairman of the
Committee on Agriculture (
28th Congress) and the
Committee on Pensions (
29th Congress
The 29th 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, 1845 ...
).
As an opponent of slavery, Upham argued against U.S. involvement in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, and introduced resolutions calling for immediate withdrawal from Mexico or a quick conclusion to the war.
He was an opponent of allowing slavery to extend beyond where it already existed, and voted against the
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers.
The Act was one of the most con ...
and other details related to the
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–Am ...
.
He was also a proponent of the
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was an unsuccessful 1846 proposal in the United States Congress to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico in the Mexican–American War. The conflict over the Wilmot Proviso was one of the major events leading to the ...
, which would have prevented the U.S. from extending slavery into any territory acquired as a result of the Mexican War.
Death and burial
Upham died of
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, on January 14, 1853; because he was believed to be contagious, his funeral was held quickly, and his remains were not returned to Vermont. He was buried at
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...
.
Quotations
*"...
Slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
is a
crime against humanity
Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
and a sore evil in the body politic."
Family
In 1814, Upham married Sarah Keyes; they were the parents of five children, four of whom lived to adulthood: William Keyes Upham (1817–1865), Charles Carroll Upham (1819–1868), Sarah Sumner (Upham) Langdon (1821–1888) and Mary Annette Upham (1825–1899), who died in the
Windsor Hotel fire.
Rice family and relations
Upham was a descendant of
Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
, an English immigrant to
Massachusetts Bay Colony, as follows:
[
* William Upham, son of
:* Martha Livermore (1768–1832),] daughter of
:* James Livermore, Jr. (1743–1825), son of
:* Elizabeth Rice (1713–1799), daughter of
::* Elisha Rice (1679–1761), son of
::* Thomas Rice (1626–1681), son of
:::* Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
(1594–1663)
See also
* List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Upham, William
1792 births
1853 deaths
People from Leicester, Massachusetts
People from Montpelier, Vermont
Vermont National Republicans
Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Vermont
Vermont Whigs
19th-century American politicians
United States senators from Vermont
Whig Party United States senators
Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
Vermont lawyers
State's attorneys in Vermont
American abolitionists
American temperance activists
Burials at the Congressional Cemetery
19th-century American lawyers
Deaths from smallpox