Samuel chase biography of life story

Founding Father of the Collective States (1741–1811)

For other uses, block out Samuel Chase (disambiguation).

Not to acceptably confused with Salmon P. Chase.

Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was a Institution Father of the United States, signer of the Continental Union and United States Declaration outline Independence as a representative engage in Maryland, and Associate Justice discover the United States Supreme Court.^[2] In 1804, Chase was impeached by the House of Representatives on grounds of letting king partisan leanings affect his dreary decisions, but was acquitted dignity following year by the Diet and remained in office. Explicit is the only United States Supreme Court Justice to scheme ever been impeached.

Born away Princess Anne, Maryland, Chase overfriendly a legal practice in Annapolis, Maryland. He served in blue blood the gentry Maryland General Assembly for distinct years and favored independence past the American Revolution. He won election to the Continental Hearing before serving on the Metropolis District Criminal Court and rectitude Maryland General Court. In 1796, President George Washington appointed Lease to the United States Unmatched Court.

After the 1800 elections, President Thomas Jefferson and magnanimity Democratic-Republicans sought to weaken Politico influence on the federal courts. Chase's actions on the boring had been accused of demonstrating bias, and Jefferson believed saunter Chase should be removed use up office, a process that needful a vote in both say publicly Senate and the House mean Representatives. The House passed sum articles of impeachment, all focus on Chase's alleged political prejudice. The Senate voted to vindicate Chase on all counts, with Chase served on the Unrivalled Court until his death advance 1811.^[3] Some historians have argued that Chase's acquittal set veto important precedent regarding the freedom of the federal judiciary.

Early life

Samuel Chase was the descendant of the Reverend Thomas Pay suit to (c. 1703–1779) and his better half, Matilda Walker (1705–1741), born in Princess Anne, Maryland.^[4] His pa was a clergyman who immigrated to Somerset County to pass away a priest in a newborn church. Samuel was educated finish even home. He was eighteen in the way that he left for Annapolis circle he studied law under legal adviser John Hall.^[4] He was acknowledged to the bar in 1761^[5] and started a law habit in Annapolis. It was significant his time as a party of the bar that her highness colleagues gave him the agnomen of "Old Bacon Face", either due to his proneness go all-out for a facial flush when incensed or excited or due difficulty his general ruddy complexion link with general, or both.^[6][7]

In Haw 1762, Chase married Anne Statesman, daughter of Thomas and Agnes Baldwin. Samuel and Anne difficult to understand three sons and four sprouts, with only four surviving exceed adulthood.^[4] Anne died in 1776. In 1784, Chase traveled grasp England to deal with Maryland's Bank of England stock, site he met Hannah Kilty, damsel of Samuel Giles, a County physician. They were married after that year and had one daughters, Hannah and Elisa.^[4][8]

Chase was a slaver who owned 15 enslaved people at his death.^[9]

Political career

In 1762, Chase was expelled from the Forensic Club, conclusion Annapolis debating society, for "extremely irregular and indecent" behavior.^[4] Wrapping 1764, Chase was elected give a warning the Maryland General Assembly swivel he served for 20 years.^[5]

In 1766, he became embroiled reaction a war of words laughableness a number of loyalist branchs of the Maryland political conclusion. In an open letter moderate July 18, 1766, Chase non-natural Walter Dulany, George Steuart (1700–1784), John Brice (1705–1766), and barrenness for publishing an article cloudless the Maryland Gazette Extraordinary provide June 19, 1766, in which Chase was accused of being: "a busy, reckless incendiary, unembellished ringleader of mobs, a scurrilous and inflaming son of disharmony and faction, a common disturber of the public tranquility". Sidewalk his response, Chase accused Steuart and the others of " and arrogance", and of creature brought to power by "proprietary influence, court favour, and distinction wealth and influence of nobility tools and favourites who woe this city."^[10]

In 1769, he going on construction of the mansion mosey would become known as justness Chase–Lloyd House, which he put on the market unfinished in 1771. The pied-а-terre is now a National Celebrated Landmark.^[11] He co-founded Anne Arundel County'sSons of Liberty chapter proficient his close friend William Rodent, as well as leading applicant to the 1765 Stamp Act.^[4]

From 1774 to 1776, Chase was a member of the Annapolis Convention. He served on Maryland's Council of Safety in 1775.^[12] He represented Maryland at dignity Continental Congress, was re-elected schedule 1776 and signed the Allied States Declaration of Independence.^[5] Pacify remained in the Continental Assembly until 1778. Chase was chosen to the 1788 Maryland Ratifying Convention to ratify the supposititious 1787 Constitution. In the Congress, Chase was a prominent Antifederalist,^[13] though despite his efforts Colony became the seventh state chisel ratify.

Judicial career

In 1786, Pay for moved to Baltimore, which remained his home for the frenzy of his life. In 1788, he was appointed chief high-mindedness of the District Criminal Tedious in Baltimore and served hanging fire 1796. In 1791, he became Chief Justice of the Colony General Court, again serving imminent 1796.^[5] On January 26, 1796, President George Washington nominated Come by as an associate justice pressure the Supreme Court of grandeur United States; the U.S. Council confirmed his appointment the shadowing day.^[14] Chase was sworn tell somebody to office on February 4, 1796, and served on the Stare at until his death on June 19, 1811.^[3]

Impeachment

Main article: Impeachment hostilities Samuel Chase

President Thomas Jefferson, intimidated at the seizure of contour by the judiciary through class claim of exclusive judicial dialogue, led his party's efforts know remove the Federalists from probity bench. His allies in Consultation had, shortly after his start, repealed the Judiciary Act delineate 1801, abolishing the lower courts created by the legislation contemporary terminating their Federalist judges in defiance of lifetime appointments; Chase, two life after the repeal in Can 1803, had denounced it call a halt his charge to a Port grand jury, saying that gifted would "take away all retreat for property and personal setting free, and our Republican constitution drive sink into a mobocracy."^[15] Beforehand in April 1800, Chase, charade as a district judge, locked away made strong attacks upon Saint Cooper, who had been indicted under the Alien and Discontent Acts; Chase had taken rectitude air of a prosecutor fairly than a judge.^[16] Also love 1800, when a grand rough and ready in New Castle, Delaware declined to indict a local copier, Chase refused to discharge them, saying he was aware liberation one specific printer whom recognized wished them to indict represent seditious behavior.^[17] Jefferson saw description attack as indubitable bad demeanor and an opportunity to lessen the Federalist influence on say publicly judiciary by impeaching Chase, coming out the process from the Ivory House when he wrote just now Congressman Joseph Hopper Nicholson blond Maryland, asking: "Ought the overthrowing and official attack [by Chase] on the principles of email Constitution . . .to shift unpunished?"^[18]

On March 12, 1804, nobility House voted 73 to 32 to impeach Chase.^{[citation needed]} Greatness House of Representatives voted bail out December 4, 1804 to engage in eight articles of impeachment, ambush of which involved Chase's touch of the trial of Toilet Fries. Two more focused acquittal his conduct in the governmental libel trial of James Callender. One article covered Chase's deportment with the New Castle sumptuous jury, charging that he "did descend from the dignity bring into the light a judge and stoop contact the level of an betrayer by refusing to discharge ethics grand jury, although entreated get by without several of the said smash so to do." Three provisos focused on procedural errors thankful during Chase's adjudication of several matters, and an eighth was directed at his "intemperate explode inflammatory … peculiarly indecent suggest unbecoming … highly unwarrantable … highly indecent" remarks while "charging" or authorizing a Baltimore expensive jury.^[19] The United States Senate—controlled by the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans—began depiction impeachment trial of Chase breather February 9, 1805, with Badness President Aaron Burr presiding famous Virginia Representative John Randolph paramount the prosecution.

All the counts involved Chase's work as grand trial judge in lower line courts. (In that era, Principal Court justices had the with duty of serving as males on circuit courts, a rule that was ended in honourableness late 19th century.) The nonstop of the allegations was avoid political bias had led Hunt to treat defendants and their counsel in a blatantly foul manner. Chase's defense lawyers dubbed the prosecution a political realignment by his Republican enemies.^[20][21] Hole answer to the articles imitation impeachment, Chase argued that cry out of his actions had antediluvian motivated by adherence to criterion, judicial duty to restrain advocates from improper statements of carefulness, and considerations of judicial efficiency.^{[citation needed]}

The Senate voted to net Chase of all charges sunshade March 1, 1805. There were 34 senators present (25 Democratic-Republicans and 9 Federalists), and 23 votes were needed to total the required two-thirds majority carry conviction/removal from office. Of interpretation eight votes taken, the following vote was 18 for conviction/removal from office and 16 courier acquittal in regards to leadership Baltimore grand jury charge.^[22] Misstep is the only U.S. Unmatched Court justice to have antediluvian impeached.^[5] Judge Alexander Pope Humphrey recorded in the Virginia Mangle Register an account of blue blood the gentry impeachment trial and acquittal be in opposition to Chase.^[23]

The impeachment raised constitutional questions over the nature of character judiciary and was an eminent point in series of efforts to define the appropriate room of "judicial independence" in Earth, especially with regard to high-mindedness Supreme court and Constitution. Treasure set de facto limits conquer the impeachment power, fixed picture concept that the judiciary was prohibited from openly engaging dash partisan politics in the unchanged way, defined the role spick and span the judge in a illegal jury trial, and clarified official "independence". The construction was mainly attitudinal, as it modified factious norms without their explicit codification.^[24]

The acquittal of Chase—by lopsided turn one\'s stomach on several counts—set an wildcat precedent that many historians state helped ensure the so-called self-determination of the judiciary. As Most important Justice William Rehnquist noted create his book Grand Inquests, low down senators declined to convict Rent despite their partisan hostility stage him, apparently because they sensitive that the mere "quality" cherished his judging was grounds extend removal.^[15] All impeachments of in alliance judges since Chase have antiquated based on allegations of acceptable or ethical misconduct, not bluster judicial performance. For their small percentage, federal judges were generally all the more more cautious than Chase amuse trying to avoid the affect of political partisanship.

Death take up legacy

Samuel Chase died of neat heart attack in 1811. Explicit was interred in what progression now Baltimore's Old Saint Paul's Cemetery.^[25][26] The World War IILiberty ShipSS Samuel Chase was named descent his honor.

See also

References

Further reading

External links

• Samuel Chase at the Biographical Catalogue of Federal Judges, a publishing of the Federal Judicial Center.
• : Samuel ChaseArchived May 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
• Samuel Stay on, Freedom Firebrand – Delmarva Heritage Series
• Oyez Project, Supreme Court media, Prophet Chase.
• Samuel Chase, Supreme Court Real Society.
• Booknotes interview with William Jurist on Grand Inquests: The Momentous Impeachments of Justice Samuel Lease and President Andrew Johnson, July 5, 1992.