Benjamin Goodhue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromMassachusetts | |
| In office June 11, 1796 – November 8, 1800 | |
| Preceded by | George Cabot |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Mason |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts | |
| In office March 4, 1789 – June 11, 1796 | |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Sewall |
| Constituency | 2nd district (1789–93) 1st district (1793–95) 10th district (1795–96) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1748-09-20)September 20, 1748 Salem,Province of Massachusetts Bay,British America |
| Died | July 28, 1814(1814-07-28) (aged 65) Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Occupation | Merchant |
Benjamin Goodhue (September 20, 1748[note 1] – July 28, 1814)[2] was aRepresentative and aSenator fromMassachusetts. He supported thePatriot during theAmerican Revolution, and was a strong member of theFederalist Party. He was described by contemporaries as a leading member of the so-calledEssex Junto, a group of Massachusetts Federalists, most of whom were fromEssex County.
Benjamin Goodhue was born inSalem in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay to Benjamin and Martha (Hardy) Goodue.[1] His father was a blacksmith by trade, but later became a successful merchant. The younger Benjamin graduated fromHarvard College in 1766[3] and joined his father in the merchant business. He remained active as a merchant during theAmerican Revolutionary War, and was a member of the state constitutional conventions of 1779 and 1780, the latter one producing the presentConstitution of Massachusetts. He then won election as a state representative to the inauguralMassachusetts House of Representatives in 1780, and was later elected to the state senate, serving in 1783 and 1786–1788. After adoption of theUnited States Constitution, Goodhue was elected to theFirst and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1789, until his resignation in June 1796.[3]
Goodhue was a supporter of the strong central government, and joined theFederalist Party when it was organized. He was one of a number of prominent Federalists from Essex County that were described byJohn Hancock as the "Essex Junto". He was one of two Congressmen who drafted the nation's first revenue code. He served as chairman of theCommittee on Commerce and Manufactures in theFourth United States Congress. He was elected in 1796 to the United States Senate, filling a vacancy caused by the resignation ofGeorge Cabot. He was reelected and served from June 11, 1796, to November 8, 1800, when he resigned and retired from public service. He died in Salem[4] on July 28, 1814.[3][5]
AWorld War IILiberty ship was named in his honor.[6][7][8]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None; first in line | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 1st congressional district March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795 alongside:Fisher Ames,Samuel Dexter, andSamuel Holten on aGeneral ticket | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by None; first in line | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 10th congressional district March 4, 1795 – June 1796 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Massachusetts 1796–1800 Served alongside:Theodore Sedgwick,Samuel Dexter,Dwight Foster | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| Commerce and Manufactures (1795–1819) |  | |
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| Commerce (1819–1893) | ||
| Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1893–1981) | ||
| Energy and Commerce (1981–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
