Nathaniel Silsbee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromMassachusetts | |
| In office May 31, 1826 – March 3, 1835 | |
| Preceded by | James Lloyd |
| Succeeded by | John Davis |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 | |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pickering |
| Succeeded by | Gideon Barstow |
| President of the Massachusetts State Senate | |
| In office 1823–1825 | |
| Preceded by | John Phillips |
| Succeeded by | John Mills |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1773-01-14)January 14, 1773 Salem,Province of Massachusetts Bay,British America |
| Died | July 14, 1850(1850-07-14) (aged 77) Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist National Republican Whig |
| Spouse | Mary Crowninshield |
| Relations | Jared Sparks, Son in law.[1] |
| Children | Nathaniel Silsbee, Jr. Mary Crowninshield Silsbee Georgina Silsbee |
| Occupation | Merchant |
Nathaniel Silsbee (January 14, 1773 – July 14, 1850) was a ship master, merchant andAmerican politician fromSalem, Massachusetts.
Silsbee was born on January 14, 1773 inSalem,Province of Massachusetts Bay, then a part ofBritish America. He was the eldest child of Capt. Nathaniel Silsbee (1748–1791) and Sarah (née Becket) Silsbee (1750–1832). Among his younger siblings were Zachariah F. Silsbee, who married Sarah Boardman (a daughter of Capt. Francis Boardman). Through his brother Zachariah, he was uncle to Caroline Silsbee, who married fellow Salem merchantDudley Leavitt Pickman.[2]
At the age of fourteen, to support his family upon the financial failures of his father, he went to sea and learned navigation. His able seamanship won him, at the age of nineteen, command ofElias Hasket Derby's Sloop "Sally". Silsbee continued commanding Derby vessels and had many interesting adventures and exploits with privateers, French Consuls, and such.[3][4]
In 1795, he became part owner of the Schooner "Betsy" and continued to prosper and master his own vessels. He founded Silsbee & Pickman, one of the largest Salem trading houses, operated by Silsbee andDudley Leavitt Pickman.[5] In 1801 he placed his brothers, William and Zachariah, in charge of his ships. Nathaniel continued owning vessels in partnerships until the 1840s, but he actively retired from shipping when he commenced his political career.[6]
Silsbee was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives and served two terms from March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1821, during which time he was chairman of theU.S. House Committee on Military Pensions in theTwenty-first Congress. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in1820, choosing to serve in theMassachusetts House of Representatives instead. After one term, he was elected to theMassachusetts Senate, where he served aspresident from 1823 to 1825. He was a presidential elector in1824.
He was elected to theUnited States Senate in 1826 to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 3, 1829, caused by the resignation ofJames Lloyd. He was re-elected in 1829 and served from May 31, 1826, to March 3, 1835. He was chairman of theU.S. Senate Committee on Commerce in theTwenty-third Congress. He was aWhigpresidential elector in1836.
After his service as a U.S. Senator ended, Silsbee returned to Salem where he resumed mercantile pursuits.[7]
On December 12, 1802, Silsbee was married to Mary Crowninshield (1778–1835), the daughter of Mary (née Derby) Crowninshield and Capt. George Crowninshield, one of Salem's wealthiest merchants.[8] Her brothers includedSecretary of the NavyBenjamin Williams Crowninshield,U.S. RepresentativeJacob Crowninshield,[9] andGeorge Crowninshield Jr., who ownedCleopatra's Barge, the first yacht to cross the Atlantic.[10] Together, they were the parents of:
Silsbee died on July 14, 1850. He was interred at The Burying Point, the second oldest cemetery in the U.S.[13]
The Nathaniel Silsbee House is a historic building in Salem, maintained by theKnights of Columbus.[14]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Massachusetts May 31, 1826 – March 3, 1835 Served alongside:Elijah H. Mills,Daniel Webster | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of the Massachusetts Senate 1823–1826 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
| Commerce and Manufactures (1816–1825) | | |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce (1825–1947) | ||
| Interstate Commerce (1887–1947) | ||
| Interstate and Foreign Commerce/Commerce (1947–1977) | ||
| Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–present) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
