Seth M. Gates

Seth M. Gates

Seth Merrill Gates (born October 10, 1800 in Winfield , Herkimer County , New York , †  August 24, 1877 in Warsaw , New York) was an American politician . Between 1839 and 1843 he represented New York State in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1806, Seth Gates moved with his parents to Sheldon , Wyoming County , where he attended public schools. He then graduated from Middleburg Academy in the city of Wyoming . Around 1825 he was school councilor for the public schools in Le Roy . There he was also deputy sheriff . After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1827, he began to work in this profession in Le Roy. In 1830 he was also the mayor ( supervisor ) there; In 1832 he was a member of the New York State Assembly . In 1838 he published the Le Roy Gazette newspaper. Politically, he joined the Whig Party , founded in the 1830s . He was considered a staunch opponent of slavery .

In the congressional election of 1838 Gates was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the 29th  constituency of New York , where he succeeded Harvey Putnam on March 4, 1839 . After re-election, he was able to complete two legislative terms in Congress until March 3, 1843 . The period after 1841 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.

In 1842, Gates was not re-elected. After serving in the US House of Representatives, he practiced as a lawyer in Warsaw. He was also active in various industries such as the timber trade and hardware store. In the 1840s he joined the Free Soil Party and applied for this in 1848 unsuccessfully for the office of lieutenant governor of New York. Between 1851 and 1865 he was secretary of the insurance company Wyoming County Insurance Co . From 1861 to 1870 he also worked as a postman in Warsaw. Eventually in 1872 he became vice president of the Genesee County Pioneer Association . Seth Gates died on August 24, 1877 in Warsaw, where he was also buried.

Web links

• Seth M. Gates in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Harvey Putnam	United States House Representative for New York (29th constituency) March 4, 1839 - March 4, 1843	Charles H. Carroll