Lawrence Brainerd | |
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| United States Senator fromVermont | |
| In office October 14, 1854 – March 3, 1855 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel S. Phelps |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Collamer |
| Member of theRepublican National Committee from Vermont | |
| In office 1856–1864 | |
| Preceded by | None (position created) |
| Succeeded by | Abraham B. Gardner |
| Chairman of theVermont Republican Party | |
| In office 1856–1857 | |
| Preceded by | None (position created) |
| Succeeded by | Henry G. Root |
| Member of theVermont House of Representatives fromSt. Albans | |
| In office 1834–1835 | |
| Preceded by | John Smith |
| Succeeded by | John Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1794-03-16)March 16, 1794 |
| Died | May 9, 1870(1870-05-09) (aged 76) St. Albans, Vermont, U.S. |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery, St. Albans, Vermont |
| Party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Jacksonian Whig Liberty Free Soil |
| Spouse | Fidelia B. Gadcomb (m. 1819–1852, her death) |
| Relations | Joseph Hungerford Brainerd (cousin) J. Gregory Smith (son in law) F. Stewart Stranahan (son in law) |
| Children | 12 (includingAnn Eliza Smith) |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Vermont Militia |
| Years of service | 1812– |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Dixon's Regiment 1st Artillery Company, 1st Regiment, 3rd Brigade |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Lawrence Brainerd (March 16, 1794 – May 9, 1870) was an American businessman, abolitionist andUnited States Senator fromVermont. A longtime anti-slavery activist, after leaving theJacksonians in the 1830s, Brainerd was active in theWhig,Liberty, andFree Soil parties, and was one of the organizers of theRepublican Party when it was formed as the main anti-slavery party in the mid-1850s. Brainerd's longtime commitment to the cause of abolition was recognized in 1854, when opponents of slavery in theVermont General Assembly chose him to fill a five-month vacancy in theUnited States Senate.
A native ofEast Hartford, Connecticut, Brainerd was raised by an uncle from the age of nine, and grew up inTroy, New York andSt. Albans, Vermont. He taught school and worked as a store clerk, then began a business career of his own while still a teenager. He operated a successful store, then expanded his holdings to include a successful farm, as well as interests in banking, railroads, railroad construction, and steamships onLake Champlain. Brainerd had extensive real estate holdings in and around St. Albans, including farms where he raised horses. In 1856, he was chosen to serve as president of the Vermont Agricultural Society. Brainerd became involved in the Congregational church at a young age and was a prominent advocate of temperance.
Brainerd became active in politics first as aJacksonian, and he represented St. Albans in theVermont House of Representatives from 1834 to 1835. An opponent of slavery, Brainerd joined theWhigs, but became dissatisfied with the party's attempts to chart a middle ground on the issue, and became an adherent of the abolitionistLiberty Party, and later theFree Soil Party. Brainerd was the unsuccessful Liberty Party candidate forgovernor of Vermont in 1846, 1847, 1848, 1852, and 1854, but his candidacies served to increase awareness of the abolitionist position on slavery. In October 1854, Brainerd's years of advocacy in the cause of anti-slavery were recognized when anti-slavery Whigs, Liberty Party members, and Free Soil Party members in theVermont General Assembly combined to elect Brainerd to fill a short term vacancy in theUnited States Senate. He served until March 1855, and was succeeded byJacob Collamer.
In 1855, Brainerd was one of the organizers of the newRepublican Party when it was created as the main anti-slavery political organization. He served as the first chairman of Vermont's Republican Party, and was one of the handful of state chairmen who issued the call for the party's firstnational convention in 1856. Brainerd was a delegate, and called the convention to order as its temporary chairman.
Brainerd died in St. Albans on May 9, 1870. He was buried atGreenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.
Brainerd was born inEast Hartford, Connecticut on March 16, 1794, the fifth of thirteen children born to Ezra Brainerd and Mabel (Porter) Brainerd.[1] In 1803, Brainerd went toTroy, New York to reside with his uncle, Joseph S. Brainerd.[1] In 1808, they moved toSt. Albans, Vermont.[1] Brainerd was educated in Troy and St. Albans, and attended St. Albans Academy.[1] He taught school for two years, then began a business career as a clerk in a St. Albans store.[1] During theWar of 1812, Brainerd served as a sergeant in Colonel Luther Dixon's Regiment ofVermont Militia.[2] During the war, the area around St. Albans andSwanton was contested, with smugglers vying to move goods to the Canadian side of the border and militia patrols attempting to interdict their activities.[3] In addition, British and Canadian forces raided northern Vermont several times during the war, and American soldiers and Vermont militia conducted raids on the Canadian side of the border.[3] Brainerd continued his militia membership after the war and received a commission as afirst lieutenant in 1st Artillery Company, 1st Regiment, 3rd Brigade.[4] His membership in Vermont's militia continued for several years, and he was promoted tocaptain during his service.[5][6]
In 1816, Brainerd went into business as the owner of a store, and his venture proved successful.[7] His early efforts to expand his holdings included the purchase of 1,200 acres of swampland nearLake Champlain, which he drained, improved, and developed into a successful sheep farm.[1] Brainerd continued to take part in successful business enterprises, frequently in partnership withJohn Smith and Smith's sonJ. Gregory Smith, including construction and operation of several railroads in Vermont and Canada that were combined to form theCentral Vermont Railway.[7] In addition, he was involved in ownership and operation of several banks, and became active in the transport of cargo on Lake Champlain as the owner and operator of several steamboats and steamships.[7] Brainerd owned real estate throughout St. Albans, including farms where he raised horses.[8] Because he was opposed to slavery, Brainerd used his home and other properties as hiding places for runaway slaves attempting to escape to Canada on theUnderground Railroad.[7]
In 1839, a large, aggressive gray wolf attacked flocks and herds throughoutFranklin County and became a cause for concern among farmers and townspeople.[9] Brainerd, whose size, strength, and skills as an outdoorsman were the subject of local renown, successfully hunted the wolf.[9] A monument commemorating his deed was later placed on Aldis Hill in St. Albans, near the spot where Brainerd caught up to and killed the wolf.[9] In 1856, he was elected president of the Vermont Agricultural Society.[1] Brainerd was an active member of theCongregational church and a long time advocate for thetemperance movement.[1] In addition, he was a longtime supporter of theAmerican Missionary Association and served a term as its president.[7]
Brainerd became involved in local politics and government with an appointment as deputy sheriff ofFranklin County, Vermont.[7] In 1834 he was elected to theVermont House of Representatives as aJacksonian, and he served from 1834 to 1835.[10][11] Brainerd became increasingly opposed to slavery, and left the Jacksonians for theWhigs.[7] Brainerd's anti-slavery views caused him to leave the Whigs in 1840 out of dissatisfaction with the party's attempts to find a compromise position on the slavery issue.[7] He joined the newLiberty Party, then theFree Soil Party, both of which opposed slavery.[12] Brainerd was the unsuccessful Free Soil candidate forgovernor of Vermont in 1846, 1847, 1852, 1853, and 1854.[7]
In September 1854, Brainerd narrowly lost the election for a seat in theVermont Senate in which he ran as the nominee of theFree Soil Party.[13] In October, he was chosen by theVermont General Assembly to fill aUnited States Senate vacancy, which had occurred when SenatorWilliam Upham died in January 1853.[14] TheVermont General Assembly failed to choose a successor after Upham's death, so in December 1853 the governor appointed former SenatorSamuel S. Phelps to fill the vacancy.[15][16] Phelps served until the U.S. Senate resolved in March 1854 that he was not entitled to his seat, reasoning that while the governor could make an appointment while the state legislature was not in session, it fell to the legislature to make a selection if it was in session.[17] When the new legislative session began in October 1854, anti-slavery members of the legislature honored Brainerd's years of commitment to their cause by choosing him to succeed Phelps.[18] Brainerd was not a candidate for election to a full term, and served from October 14, 1854, to March 3, 1855.[18] Brainerd took part in one session of Congress from December 1854 to March 1855, and was a member of the Committee on Claims.[19] He was succeeded byJacob Collamer and returned to his banking and business interests.[20]
In 1855, Brainerd was one of the organizers of the newRepublican Party, which was founded as the country's main anti-slavery political organization.[7] He served as the first chairman of theVermont Republican Party, and was one of five state party chairmen who issued the call for the firstRepublican National Convention in 1856.[21] Brainerd was a delegate, and as the temporary chairman he called the convention to order for its first session.[7] Brainerd was subsequently chosen to serve as one of the convention's vice chairmen, and was appointed as a member of theRepublican National Committee.[7] Brainerd was chosen as one of Vermont's presidential electors after the 1856 election.[22] When Vermont's electors met in December to cast their ballots, Brainerd was chosen as their chairman.[22] They all voted for the Republican ticket ofJohn C. Frémont for president andWilliam L. Dayton for vice president, who carried Vermont but lost the election.[22]
Brainerd was the chairman of Vermont's delegation to the1860 Republican National Convention.[7] On the first ballot, Vermont's delegates supported Jacob Collamer as afavorite son.[23] Afterwards, Brainerd and the Vermont delegation supportedAbraham Lincoln, who received the nomination on the third ballot.[23] In 1864, Brainerd was succeeded on the Republican National Committee byAbraham B. Gardner.[24]
Brainerd remained active in his business ventures until his death in St. Albans on May 9, 1870.[25] He was buried atGreenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.[26]
In 1819, Brainerd married Fidelia B. Gadcomb.[7] She was the stepdaughter ofAsa Aldis and granddaughter ofDaniel Owen.[7]: 179 The Brainerds were the parents of 12 children:[5][7]
DaughterAnn Eliza Brainerd Smith was a noted author and the wife ofVermont GovernorJ. Gregory Smith.[7] Daughter Miranda became the wife ofF. Stewart Stranahan.[7] During the Civil War, Herbert Brainerd served as quartermaster of the1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment.[27]
As soon as intelligence of these facts was received, Capt. Lawrence Brainerd started in pursuit of him...
| Party political offices | ||
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| First | Free Soil nominee forGovernor of Vermont 1846,1847 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Free Soil nominee forGovernor of Vermont 1852,1853,1854 | Succeeded by None |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Vermont October 14, 1854 – March 3, 1855 Served alongside:Solomon Foot | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
