William A. Palmer

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William A. Palmer

William Adams Palmer (born September 12, 1781 in Hebron , Connecticut , † December 3, 1860 in Danville , Vermont ) was an American lawyer and politician and governor of Vermont from 1831 to 1835 . Between 1818 and 1825 he represented this state in the US Senate .

Early years

William Palmer attended his home public schools and moved to Chelsea , Vermont in 1802 . After completing a law degree, he worked as a lawyer in various cities in Vermont. Between 1807 and 1818 he held several judicial posts, including at the Vermont Supreme Court .

Political advancement and US Senator

Palmer was then a member of the Democratic Republican Party . Between 1811 and 1812 he was an MP in the Vermont House of Representatives . After the resignation of US Senator James Fisk , he was sent to the US Congress as his successor as a Class 3 Senator . After he was then elected for a full legislative term, he was able to represent his state in Washington between October 20, 1818 and March 3, 1825 . In 1824 he did not stand for re-election. After returning to Vermont, he also worked in agriculture.

Politically, he returned to the House of Representatives of his state between 1825 and 1826 and again in 1829. After the dissolution of his party, he joined the National Republican Party . As an opponent of Freemasonry , he then became a member of a new party called the Anti-Masonic Party . Palmer was also a delegate to three meetings to revise the Vermont state constitution, held in 1828, 1836, and 1850.

Vermont governor

In 1831, Palmer was elected as the new governor of his state as a candidate for the anti-Masonic movement. The election was tight and the legislature decided in his favor. In the following years he was re-elected with the help of the legislature. Only in the elections of 1833 did he achieve an absolute majority. He was in office between October 18, 1831 and November 2, 1835. During this time, a law was abolished under which women could be sentenced to prison for debts. Governor Palmer promoted trade, industry and agriculture in his state and campaigned for improved education policies: At that time, 14 new schools were built in Vermont. In the banking sector, seven new financial institutions were approved in his state. To improve the infrastructure, the construction of a railway network was tackled.

The elections of 1835 were again very close. But this time the legislature no longer opted for Palmer. Since they could not agree on a candidate there, Lieutenant Governor Silas H. Jennison was appointed acting governor.

Another résumé

Even after the end of his governorship, Palmer remained politically active. Between 1836 and 1837 he was a member of the Vermont Senate . In 1850 he was again at a conference to revise the state constitution. After that, he retired. William Palmer died in December 1860. He had seven children with his wife, Sarah Blanchard.

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