Nathaniel Chipman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chipman,c. 1800 | |
| United States Senator fromVermont | |
| In office October 17, 1797 – March 3, 1803 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac Tichenor |
| Succeeded by | Israel Smith |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Vermont | |
| In office March 4, 1791 – January 1, 1793 | |
| Appointed by | George Washington |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 1 Stat. 197 |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Hitchcock |
| Chief Judge of theVermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1813–1815 | |
| Preceded by | Royall Tyler |
| Succeeded by | Asa Aldis |
| In office 1796–1797 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac Tichenor |
| Succeeded by | Israel Smith |
| In office 1789–1791 | |
| Preceded by | Moses Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Knight |
| Judge of theVermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1786–1787 | |
| Preceded by | John Fassett Jr. |
| Succeeded by | None[a] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1752-11-15)November 15, 1752 |
| Died | February 13, 1843(1843-02-13) (aged 90) |
| Resting place | Tinmouth Cemetery |
| Party | Federalist |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6 (includingHenry) |
| Relatives | Daniel Chipman (brother) Lemuel Chipman (brother) John Logan Chipman (grandson) John W. Brownson (grandson) |
| Education | Yale University |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Service | Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1777–1778 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Unit | 2nd Connecticut Regiment |
| Wars | |
Nathaniel Chipman (November 15, 1752 – February 13, 1843) was an American politician who served as aUnited States Senator fromVermont andChief Justice of theVermont Supreme Court. AYale College graduate andContinental Army veteran of theAmerican Revolution, Chipman became a prominent attorney and advocate for Vermont statehood. When Vermont wasadmitted to the Union, he served as the first judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Vermont.
After Vermont became the fourteenth state, Chipman became a leader of itsFederalist Party. In addition to his legal and political work, Chipman authored several works on government and law, served for 28 years as Professor of Law atMiddlebury College, and was asatirical poet.
Chipman was born inSalisbury,Connecticut Colony,British America on November 15, 1752, a son of Samuel Chipman and Hannah (Austin) Chipman.[1] Chipman was privately tutored, then began attendance atYale University, from which he graduated in 1777.[1][2]
In January 1777, Chipman left Yale to volunteer for theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War, and he received his diploma while he was serving.[1][2] He was commissioned as anensign in the2nd Connecticut Regiment, and joined the army in Pennsylvania.[3] He took part in the December 1777Battle of White Marsh, and went into winter quarters with his unit atValley Forge, where they remained until June 1778.[3] Chipman was promoted tofirst lieutenant on December 29, 1777.[3] Chipman through the summer of 1778, and resigned his commission atWhite Plains, New York on October 16, 1778.[3]
Chipman left the army to move to theVermont Republic, where he attainedadmission to the bar and entered private practice inTinmouth.[1] Chipman also continued his military service as a member of Captain John Spafford's Company, a unit of the militia regiment commanded by Colonel Gideon Warren.[4] He was state's attorney inMontpelier from 1781 to 1785, and a member of theVermont House of Representatives from 1784 to 1785.[1] He was a judge of theSupreme Court of Vermont from 1786 to 1787, and served as chief judge from 1789 to 1791.[1]
On February 9, 1791, Chipman met with PresidentGeorge Washington to notify him officially of Vermont's decision to apply foradmission to the Union as the 14th state.[5]New York had long objected to the existence of the government of Vermont on the grounds that Vermont was part of New York, a position that dated back to a pre-Revolutionary War dispute between the colonial governors of New York andNew Hampshire over the right to sell Vermont land grants.[6]
In 1790, New York agreed to give up its claim provided that an agreement on the boundary between Vermont and New York could be concluded.[7] In consideration of New York giving up its claim to Vermont, Vermont paid $30,000 as an indemnity to owners of Vermont land who had received their grants from New York (about $800,000 in 2015).[8] On February 18, 1791, Congress decided toadmit Vermont to the Union, effective March 4, 1791.[9]
Following the admission of the State ofVermont to the Union, PresidentGeorge Washington nominated Chipman as the first judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Vermont, a new seat authorized by 1 Stat. 197.[1] He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on March 4, 1791, and received his commission the same day.[1] He resigned on January 1, 1793.[1]
Following his resignation from the federal bench, Chipman resumed private practice in Tinmouth from 1793 to 1796.[1] In 1833, he authored the bookSketches of the Principles of Government.[10] Chipman served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont from 1796 to 1797.[1]
Chipman was elected as aFederalist from Vermont to theUnited States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofUnited States SenatorIsaac Tichenor and served from October 17, 1797, until March 3, 1803.[2][11] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection.[2]
Following his departure from Congress, Chipman resumed practicing law in Tinmouth.[1] He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1806 to 1809 and in 1811.[1] He was a member of theVermont Council of Censors in 1813.[1] He was chief justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont from 1813 to 1815.[1][12] He was a professor of law atMiddlebury College starting in 1816.[1][13]
Chipman was the brother ofDaniel Chipman, aUnited States representative from Vermont, and the grandfather ofJohn Logan Chipman, a United States Representative fromMichigan.[2] In 1781, Chipman married Sarah Hill (1762–1831), they had six children, includingHenry C. Chipman.[14] Another son, Jeffrey Chipman, was aJustice of the Peace inCanandaigua,New York in the 1820s, and was the jurist from whom those attempting to preventWilliam Morgan from publishing a book opposing Freemasonry obtained an arrest warrant for Morgan, which eventually led to Morgan's disappearance and presumed death and the founding of theAnti-Masonic Party.[15]
Chipman was the grandfather ofJohn W. Brownson, a member of theNew York State Senate.[14]: 50 [16] Brownson was the son of Dr. John Brownson and Nathaniel Chipman's daughter Laura.[14]: 50 [16]
Chipman died on February 17, 1843, in Tinmouth.[1] He was interred in Tinmouth Cemetery.[2][17]
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| Preceded by Seat established by 1 Stat. 197 | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Vermont 1791–1793 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Vermont 1797–1803 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest living United States senator 1839–1843 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
