Justin Smith Morrill

Justin Smith Morrill

Justin Smith Morrill (* 14. May 1810 in Strafford , Vermont ; † 28. December 1898 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician of the Republican Party . Between 1855 and 1867 he represented the US state Vermont in the US House of Representatives . From 1867 until his death he sat for Vermont in the US Senate .

Life

Morrill was born in Strafford. There he attended public schools. Morrill was preparing for his job as a commercial clerk. He worked in his hometown as well as in Portland , Maine . At this time he already took on his first public offices, for example as a justice of the peace . Portus Baxter married a daughter of Morrill's business partner, after which a deep friendship developed between Baxter and Morrill. Morrill invested wisely in banks and real estate business, whereupon he withdrew from active business at the age of almost 30 and from then on lived as a farmer. At that time he became a member of the Whig Party . There he became chairman of the Orange County party .

In 1854, Morrill ran successfully as a member of the Whigs for a seat in the US House of Representatives. He was then re-elected five times as a co-founder of the Republican Party. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he was, among other things, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means . In 1866, Morrill ran successfully for a seat in the US Senate. He was re-elected five times. In the Senate, he was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds and three times the United States Senate Committee on Finance . During his almost 44-year membership in the US Congress, he was involved in several important legislative projects, for example the Morrill Tariff and the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act .

In 1851 Morrill married Ruth Barrell Swan. They both had two sons. His residence, Justin Smith Morrill Homestead , has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1960 . Morrill died in office in the federal capital Washington, DC in 1898. He was buried in Strafford Cemetery in his hometown.

Web links

• Justin Smith Morrill in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Justin Smith Morrill in the database of Find a Grave (English)