Roger Sherman Baldwin

Roger Sherman Baldwin ( born January 4, 1793 in New Haven, Connecticut, † February 19, 1863 ) was an American politician, Governor and U.S. Senator of the U.S. state of Connecticut. He was a member of the Whig party.

Early years and political rise

Roger Sherman Baldwin, grandson of Roger Sherman, the only man who signed all of America's founding documents, was born in 1793 in New Haven. His father was Simeon Baldwin (1761-1851), who was 1803-1805 congressman from Connecticut. He graduated in 1811 from Yale University and began to study law at the Litchfield Law School the following year. Baldwin's most important event in his legal career were the Amistad Trails, when he won the freedom of the slaves who rebelled on the Spanish cargo ship La Amistad and up to two men the entire crew all killed. They took place from 1839 to 1841. Baldwin decided late to go into politics. He ran in 1837 for the Senate from Connecticut and won; In 1838 he was re-elected. He was then in 1840 and in 1841 elected to the House of Representatives from Connecticut.

Governor of Connecticut

Baldwin won the 1844 Governor nomination of the Whigs and was (116 to 93 ) chosen in the same year by a Legislativabstimmung governor of Connecticut. He was reelected for a second term in 1845. During his tenure, the legislation was busy trying to eliminate the ownership rights for voting. He also tried the blacks to approve the right to vote, but failed it. Baldwin decided not to run again as governor of Connecticut. He left his office on November 1, 1847, to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate, which he held until 1851.

Further CV

He was also a delegate to the 1861 Washington Peace Congress, which was intended to prevent the impending war. Roger Sherman Baldwin died on 19 February 1863 and was buried in the Grove Street Cemetery. He was married to Emily Perkins. The couple had nine children together. His son Simeon Eben Baldwin had 1911-1915 also the Office of the Governor of Connecticut.