Manasseh Cutler

Manasseh Cutler (born May 13, 1742 in Killingly , Colony of Connecticut , †  July 28, 1823 in Hamilton , Massachusetts ) was an American politician . Between 1801 and 1805 he represented the state of Massachusetts in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Manasseh Cutler grew up during the British colonial era. He was first privately tutored and then graduated from Yale College in 1765 . He then taught himself for a short time as a teacher in Dedham (Massachusetts). He then worked as a whaler for some time. After a subsequent law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1767; but he did not work as a lawyer. Instead he studied theology and in 1771 became a clergyman in the Congregational Society in Hamilton. During the War of Independence he served as a chaplain in various units of the Continental Army . After studying medicine, he practiced as a doctor. Cutler was also knowledgeable in other areas, for example, he gave lectures on navigation. In addition, he was considered an expert in botany and astronomy. In 1781 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . Since 1785 he was an elected member of the American Philosophical Society .

In the 1780s, Cutler helped found the Northwest Territory . In this context he drafted the Ordinance of 1787 , through which the creation of this territory was made possible. He is also considered a co-founder of Ohio University . In 1795, he rejected an appointment by President George Washington as a federal judge in what would later become the state of Ohio .

Politically, Cutler became a member of the Federalist Party founded by Alexander Hamilton . In 1800 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives . In the 1800 congressional elections , he was elected to the Eleventh constituency of Massachusetts in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC , where he succeeded Bailey Bartlett on March 4, 1801 . After re-election, he was able to complete two legislative terms in Congress until March 3, 1805 . Since 1803 he represented there as the successor of Ebenezer Mattoon the third district of his state. During his time as a congressman in 1803 , the Louisiana Purchase made by President Thomas Jefferson expanded the territory of the United States considerably. In 1804 the twelfth amendment was ratified.

In 1804 Cutler decided not to run again for Congress. As a result he dealt with literary matters in addition to his previous activities. He died in Hamilton on July 28, 1823. His son Ephraim (1767-1853) was a lawyer and local politician in the Northwest Territory and later in the state of Ohio, his grandson William (1812-1889) sat in the House of Representatives for Ohio.

Web links

• Manasseh Cutler in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Manasseh Cutler in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Member History: Manasseh Cutler. American Philosophical Society, accessed July 3, 2018 .