Stanley Griswold (November 14, 1763August 21, 1815) was 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 ...

politician from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He served in the

U.S. Senate 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 pow ...

. Born in

Torrington, Connecticut Torrington is the most populated municipality and only city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the Northwest Hills region. It is also the core city of Greater Torrington, one of the largest micropolitan areas in the United States. The city p ...

, Griswold served in the militia during the Revolutionary War. After graduating from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1786, he taught for a time in Norwich, and began studying Theology in 1787.Jenks, p. 5 In 1789 he was called to th
First Congregational Church
in New Milford, Connecticut, where he preached until 1802. In 1803 he went to

Walpole, New Hampshire Walpole is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 census. The town's central village, where 573 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Walpole census-designated place (CDP) and ...

, as editor of the new Democratic newspaper ''The Political Observatory''.Jenks, p. 6 Griswold continued with the paper until the spring of 1805 when he received the appointment of Secretary to the new

Territory of Michigan The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

from President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

. He served as the first territorial secretary of Michigan Territory from 1805-1808. In 1806, while serving as acting governor in the absence of Governor

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed as Governor of Michigan Territory (1805–13), gaining large land cessions from several Am ...

, Griswold ordered the erection of Fort Croghan, also known as Fort Nonsense, to protect livestock from raids by Native Americans. Griswold Street in Detroit is named in his honor. His tenure ended largely due to disagreements with the Governor, who accused Griswold of causing dissension between the Governor and the militia. In January 1808, Griswold lost a trial, which has been characterized as a farce, and was obliged to pay a penalty of $1,000.Farmer
p. 316
/ref> He left office on March 18, 1808, and moved to Ohio. He was appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Edward Tiffin, serving from May 18, 1809 until a special election was held to choose a successor on December 11, 1809. Griswold then moved to the

Illinois Territory The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. Its ...

, where he was appointed as a federal judge, serving on the bench and as a lawyer until his death.

Notes

References

* * * * *
The Political Graveyard

Archives and records

Griswold family papers
at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Griswold, Stanley 1763 births 1815 deaths Connecticut militiamen in the American Revolution United States senators from Ohio Michigan Democratic-Republicans Politicians from Detroit American Congregationalists Ohio Democratic-Republicans Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Military personnel from Connecticut People from Torrington, Connecticut