Obadiah German | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office January 6, 1819 – June 30, 1819 | |
| Preceded by | David Woods |
| Succeeded by | John C. Spencer |
| United States Senator fromNew York | |
| In office March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1815 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel L. Mitchill |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Sanford |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly | |
| In office 1798 1804-1805 1807-1809 1819 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1766-04-22)April 22, 1766 |
| Died | September 24, 1842(1842-09-24) (aged 76) |
| Resting place | North Norwich Cemetery,North Norwich, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ann Lewis (d. 1829) Mary Ann Knight (d. 1861) |
Obadiah German (April 22, 1766 – September 24, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He was most notable for his service as aU.S. Senator from New York (1809-1815) andSpeaker of the New York State Assembly in 1819.
He was born on April 22, 1766, inAmenia, New York.[1] Hestudied law, wasadmitted to the bar in 1792, and commenced practice in Norwich.[1] ADemocratic-Republican, he was a member of theNew York State Assembly from 1798 to 1799, 1804 to 1805, and 1807 to 1809.[1]
In1809, he was elected aU.S. Senator from New York.[1] He served one term, March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1815, and was not a candidate for reelection.[1] German was known as a critic of the lack of military preparations made in advance of theWar of 1812, and voted against the declaration of war.[2] In 1812, German was one of the founding trustees ofHamilton College.[3] He was First Judge of the Chenango County Court from 1814 to 1819.[1] He was also a State militia officer, eventually becoming a major general.[1]
SupportingDeWitt Clinton'sErie Canal project, German took part in planning and overseeing its construction after being appointed to the state Public Works Commission in 1817.[4] German returned to the Assembly in 1819 as a member of theClintonian faction of theDemocratic-Republican Party and was chosen to serve asSpeaker.[2] Afterwards he resumed the practice of law. German became aWhig when that party was organized.[1]
He died on September 24, 1842, inNorwich, New York.[1] He was buried at North Norwich Cemetery inNorth Norwich, New York.[1]
German had seven children with his first wife, Mary Ann Lewis, known as Ann, who died in 1829.[5]
After the death of his first wife, he married Mary Ann Knight.[5] The couple had two sons. Mary Ann moved to Syracuse with their sons when they were young, while Obadiah continued to live in Norwich.[5]
Obadiah German's widow Mary Ann Knight claimed to have been defrauded by her brother (some accounts say German's brother) of German's $70,000 estate (about $1.7 million in 2014).[10] She took up residence inSyracuse and became a public charge after being found "in a state of great destitution", her efforts at earning a living through painting and "fancy work" having failed.[10] Her claim to be German's widow was not believed in Syracuse until it was confirmed after her death.[10]
The town ofGerman, New York, is named after him.[11]
German is one of approximately 50 former senators for whom the U.S. Senate's photo historian has no likeness on file.[12] Attempts to locate one have proved unsuccessful.[12]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from New York 1809–1815 Served alongside:John Smith,Rufus King | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of the New York State Assembly 1819 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
