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SAMUEL FESSENDEN Edit Profile

abolitionist lawyer

Samuel Fessenden was an attorney, American abolitionist, and politician, serving in both houses of the Massachusetts state legislature before Maine became a separate state.

Background

Samuel Fessenden was born at Fryeburg, Maine, the son of William and Sarah (Clement) Fessenden.

Education

He attended Fryeburg Academy, graduated at Dartmouth in 1806.

Career

He taught school for a short time, studied law, was admitted to the Maine bar in 1809, and began practise at New Gloucester, where he resided until he moved to Portland in 1822.

He secured a considerable practise from the start and is reported to have greatly increased his local prestige by thrashing the town bully in front of the court-house.

From 1813 to 1815 he represented the town in the General Court at Boston, and in 1818-19 served in the Senate. While in the lower house in 1814 he made two notable speeches, one denouncing the national administration for the depressed conditions in Maine and the other, at a later session, supporting the call for the Hartford Convention.

These have been frequently quoted by subsequent historians as illustrating the lengths to which prominent Federalists were willing to go in the direction of disunion.

Following the separation of Maine from Massachusetts he represented Portland in the legislature, 1825-26. While he had shown ability as a legislator and politician and for a time seemed destined for active political life, he failed to follow up his early success.

This was due, apparently, to two reasons. On moving to Portland he formed a partnership with Thomas A. Deblois which lasted more than thirty years and became increasingly absorbed in professional work. Fessenden was especially interested in the law of real property and handled most of the business in that field while his partner handled commercial cases. Between them, they had probably the largest practise in the state prior to the Civil War, and the senior member was generally accepted as belonging to a select group of two or three outstanding leaders at the bar.

Many successful lawyers received their training in this office. A second reason for his withdrawal from politics was his growing interest in the slavery question and dislike of the attitude maintained by both major parties.

He was a candidate for Congress and also for the governorship on Liberty party tickets, apparently for the purpose of demonstrating the growing strength of anti-slavery sentiment. He was not, however, as extreme in his doctrines as some of his associates, and believed in the necessity of preserving the union of the states.

In 1861 he retired from active practise and spent his last years in the home of one of his sons. He was blind for some years before his death.

Achievements

  • He became a member of the AntiSlavery Society, held office, took an active part in its propaganda, and incurred the odium attached to membership in such a radical organization.

Politics

He actually held that rank in the militia. While at New Gloucester he was active in politics, as what Democrats loved to denounce—“a high-toned Federalist. ”

Views

He was equally considerate and generous to younger members of the bar, poor Despite its small merit, the book was clients, and negro refugees.

Membership

He became a member of the AntiSlavery Society.

Personality

He was well over six feet in height, strikingly handsome, an effective speaker, and usually referred to as “General. ”

His personal qualities were such as to gain him the affection and respect of associates and the public at large.

Connections

On December 16, 1813, he married Deborah Chandler who took into their household William Pitt Fessenden, his illegitimate son.

Father:
William Fessenden

Mother:
Sarah (Clement) Fessenden

Wife:
Deborah Chandler