Background
Levi Lincoln Jr. , the eldest son of Levi and Martha (Waldo) Lincoln, was born on October 25, 1782 and spent his life, except when absent on public service, in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States.
(Excerpt from An Oration, Pronounced at Brookfield, (Mass....)
Excerpt from An Oration, Pronounced at Brookfield, (Mass.) Upon the Anniversary of American Independence, on the Fourth of July, 1807: Before a Numerous Assembly of the Republicans of the County of Worcester Fellow-citizens. Brethren m Pamcxne. Republicans Thrice welcome be this our meet; ing. -afl'embled to commemorate an event the mofi: honorable to our nation, to confecrate anew the day of our Independenceragain to plight our faith to pofierity in the temple of our God, let the flint of liberty fill our hearts with rejoicing, and the fervor ofentbzgfiafm give currency to the language of ourlips, On this day, let no voice of difcontent found a note of difcordance, let no breath of repining. Give a figh to regret. Let there be but one paufe of rev-a erential feeling to the memory of the deceafed heroes of our country, and all the refidue of Ibis hallowed day, be animation, harmony, and joy. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Levi Lincoln Jr. , the eldest son of Levi and Martha (Waldo) Lincoln, was born on October 25, 1782 and spent his life, except when absent on public service, in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States.
Lincoln graduated from Harvard College in 1802.
Lincoln was admitted to the bar in 1805, and began practice in his native town. A Jeffersonian Republican by inheritance and belief, he was soon active in politics. It was in this field, rather than at the bar, that he was destined to achieve distinction. In 1812 he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate, beginning a public career which lasted for about thirty-five years. Between 1814 and 1822 he served several terms in the state House of Representatives. With the subsidence of party acrimony after the war, his influence grew, and he served as speaker during his last term, although the House majority was nominally Federalist. In 1820-1821 he was a member of the state constitutional convention. Meantime, he had seen service as lieutenant-governor (1823) and, briefly, as a member of the Massachusetts supreme court.
In 1825 he was elected to the governorship, the first incumbent of that position, as he stated in his message to the legislature, June 2, 1825, "whose whole experience is more recent than the adoption of the Frame of Government which he is called to participate in administering". In many respects a new era was beginning in Massachusetts history, and party activity was temporarily quiescent. Lincoln was reelected annually until 1834, with a measure of unanimity never attained by his successors in office. He gave up the post in order to enter national politics.
On February 17, 1834, he began service in the House of Representatives in place of John Davis, who had resigned to succeed Lincoln as governor. He was elected to the three succeeding Congresses, his service extending from February 17, 1834, to his resignation on March 16, 1841. He was a constant participant in debate but hardly an outstanding figure in Washington. Following his withdrawal from Congress, he served as collector of the Port of Boston, 1841-1843, until removed by President Tyler. He also served two more terms in the state Senate, 1844-1845, the last one as president of that body.
He then retired to his home in Worcester, where he spent the rest of his life.
He had always been active in local affairs and his name appears in a wide variety of social and business activities in that community. He served as mayor of Worcester in 1848, after its incorporation that year as a city. His interest in educational matters is indicated by his long service on the governing boards of Leicester Academy and Harvard University.
(Excerpt from An Oration, Pronounced at Brookfield, (Mass....)
While at Massachusetts Senate, Lincoln opposed there the policy of Governor Caleb Strong during the second war with Great Britain, and especially the state's participation in the Hartford Convention in 1814. He delivered speeches on elections and on the judiciary which show that he was still a Jeffersonian, but he soon began to move toward the National Republican position and in 1824 supported John Quincy Adams for the presidency.
During his governorship, among the problems discussed were such eminently practical matters as a topographical survey of the state, an investigation of its geological resources, improvement in the administration of justice by elimination of obsolete common law provisions, amelioration of the laws of debt and insolvency, and proper methods of assuring the medical profession an adequate supply of anatomical material. In his first message he urged that the corporation laws be amended in order to limit the liability of shareholders for corporate debts, and, reverting to the same subject on January 6, 1830, he showed that, as a consequence of existing business depression, the principle of holding shareholders liable to the full extent of their property, had "brought irretrievable ruin to individuals" and had fatally impaired "that confidence in property, upon which alone, credit can be obtained. " He was insistent that the state assume broader educational functions and in 1826 urged the establishment of "a Seminary of practical Arts and Sciences. " He likewise emphasized the need of better professional training for teachers. His later messages as governor contained numerous disquisitions on the nature of the Union, provoked by the South Carolina nullification movement.
He was also an enthusiastic promoter of agricultural improvement and a successful practical farmer; a number of his addresses on agricultural topics were printed.
Quotations: "Opposition, by force, to the laws of the General Government, is Rebellion, from which the only escape is in Revolution. "
In person Lincoln is described as erect and dignified in carriage, retaining the manners of the first part of the century, and being regarded by neighbors and associates as "a gentleman of the old school. " Reverend Alonzo Hill declared that, unlike his father, he was "no classical scholar nor profound metaphysician, " no great reader, but a man of sound common sense, "whose gifts were eminently practical".
Lincoln married, September 6, 1807, Penelope Winslow, daughter of William and Mary (Chandler) Sever, by whom he had eight children.