Elisha Reynolds Potter

Elisha Reynolds Potter (born November 5, 1764 in Kingston , Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , † September 26, 1835 in South Kingston , Rhode Island ) was an American politician . Between 1796 and 1797 and from 1809 to 1815 he represented the state of Rhode Island in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Elisha Potter learned the blacksmith's trade and was also active in agriculture. He took part in the War of Independence as a simple soldier . Then he attended the Plainfield Academy . After studying law, he was admitted to the bar around 1789. He then began to work in his new job in his native Kingston.

Politically, he was a member of the Federalist Party founded by Alexander Hamilton . He was a member of the House of Representatives from Rhode Island between 1793 and 1796, and was its president for the last two years. After the resignation of Congressman Benjamin Bourne , Potter was elected in a by-election against Peleg Arnold as his successor in the US House of Representatives. He took up this mandate on November 15, 1796 and held it until 1797. Then he stepped back too.

Between 1798 and 1808 he was again a member of the House of Representatives of his state, where he served as its president again at times. In 1808 he was re-elected to Congress for the second seat of Rhode Island, which was determined nationwide , where he replaced Isaac Wilbour of the Democratic Republicans on March 4, 1809 . After two re-elections, he was able to exercise this mandate until March 3, 1815. During this time the British-American War of 1812 fell .

After his tenure in Congress, Elisha Potter was re-elected to the House of Representatives. He held this mandate between 1816 and 1835, with the exception of 1818. In that year 1818 he ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Nehemiah R. Knight for the post of governor of Rhode Island. Elisha Potter died in 1835 and was buried on the family estate in Washington County . His son of the same name Elisha (1811-1882) was also a well-known politician in Rhode Island, who was a member of both the House of Representatives and the Senate of Rhode Island. Between 1843 and 1845 he was also a congressman in the federal capital Washington .

Web links

• Elisha Reynolds Potter in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Elisha Reynolds Potter in the database of Find a Grave (English)