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Samuel Maclay | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator fromPennsylvania | |
| In office March 4, 1803 – January 4, 1809 | |
| Preceded by | James Ross |
| Succeeded by | Michael Leib |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Gregg |
| Succeeded by | John A. Hanna |
| Member of thePennsylvania Senate | |
| In office 1798–1802 | |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1797 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1741-06-17)June 17, 1741 |
| Died | October 5, 1811(1811-10-05) (aged 70) |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
Samuel Maclay (June 17, 1741 – October 5, 1811) was an American politician fromUnion County, Pennsylvania. He served in thestate legislature and representedPennsylvania in both theU.S. House and theUnited States Senate.
Maclay was born the younger brother of future Pennsylvania senatorWilliam Maclay. He was born inLurgan Township in theProvince of Pennsylvania atMaclay's Mill and served in theRevolutionary War. Maclay came to the Buffalo Valley in Union County in 1769, then in Cumberland and Berks Counties, to perform some of the first surveys, along with and under the supervision of brother William, in "the new purchase" of land made by the Penn Family pursuant to the Treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768.
In 1790, Maclay performed work as a surveyor of the streams of northwestern Pennsylvania, equating to something of a "Lewis & Clark Expedition" of the dangerous interior wilds of Pennsylvania. He became an associate judge ofFranklin County, Pennsylvania and served between 1792 and 1795. Maclay was the father ofWilliam Plunkett Maclay.
Maclay was elected to theFourth Congress. He served as a member of thelower house of the State legislature in 1797 and was a member of thePennsylvania State Senate from 1798 to 1802 and served as speaker from 1801 to 1802.
He waselected to the United States Senate as a Democratic-Republican by the Pennsylvania legislature and began service in 1803. Popular among Pennsylvanians, he was an infrequent Senate speaker but was frequently mentioned as his party's possible candidate for governor, but was passed over in favor ofSimon Snyder.
Maclay opposed the nomination ofJames Madison to the presidency by the Democratic-Republicans. He doubted how committed Madison was to the party, considering him a late convert, and backedGeorge Clinton instead. Furthermore, Maclay was an opponent of theEmbargo Act which had been passed duringPresident Jefferson's second term. Despite the eventual repeal of the Embargo Act, Madison secured Pennsylvania's support and Maclay realized that he was out of step with his fellow party members and Pennsylvanians. Seeing no hope of reelection, he resigned from the Senate in 1809.
Maclay served in the Senate from March 4, 1803, until his resignation on January 4, 1809. He retired toBuffalo Township, Pennsylvania, where he died, at age 70. He was interred in the Driesbach Church Cemetery in Union County.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 10th congressional district 1795–1797 alongside:David Bard | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania 1803–1809 Served alongside:George Logan,Andrew Gregg | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| Notes | † Never officially seated | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
