Samuel Hays

Samuel Hays (born September 10, 1783 in County Donegal , Ireland , †  July 1, 1868 in Franklin , Pennsylvania ) was an American politician . Between 1843 and 1845 he represented the state of Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1792 Samuel Hays came to Franklin, Pennsylvania from his Irish homeland with his mother. Nothing is known about his youth and school education. In 1808 he became a chamberlain in Venango County . He served as sheriff in this district in 1808, 1820, 1829 and 1833 . Between 1813 and 1825 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania on several occasions . In 1822 and 1839 he was also a member of the State Senate . Hays was also a member of the Pennsylvania State Militia. From 1841 to 1843 he held the rank of brigadier general there. Politically, he joined the Democratic Party .

In the congressional elections of 1842 Hays was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the 22nd  constituency of Pennsylvania , where he succeeded William Wallace Irwin on March 4, 1843 . Since he renounced another candidacy in 1844, he could only complete one legislative period in Congress until March 3, 1845 . This period was marked by tension between President John Tyler and the Whigs . In addition, a possible annexation of the Republic of Texas , which has been independent of Mexico since 1836, was already being discussed.

After the end of his time in the US House of Representatives, Samuel Hays worked in the iron industry. He operated an iron smelter near Franklin. In 1847 he became US Marshal for the western part of his state; In 1856 he became associate judge at the district court. He died in Franklin on July 1, 1868. His son Alexander was a general in the Union Army during the Civil War and was killed during the Battle of the Wilderness .

Web links

• Samuel Hays in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Samuel Hays in the database of Find a Grave (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
William Wallace Irwin	United States House Representative for Pennsylvania (22nd constituency) March 4, 1843 - March 3, 1845	William Swan Garvin