Calvin C. Chaffee

Calvin Clifford Chaffee ( born August 28, 1811 in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York; † August 8, 1896 in Springfield, Massachusetts ) was an American politician. Between 1855 and 1859 he represented the state of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Calvin Chaffee attended the public schools of his home. After a subsequent medical studies at Middlebury College in Vermont in 1835 and was admitted to his doctor, he started working in Springfield in this profession. At the same time he proposed as a member of the American Party a political career. In the congressional elections of 1854 Chaffee was in the tenth electoral district of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of Edward Dickinson on March 4, 1855. After a re-election he was able to complete in Congress until March 3, 1859 two legislative sessions. These were shaped by the events leading up to the Civil War. In his second term, which began on March 4, 1857 Chaffee represented the Republican Party, whose member he had become in the meantime.

Chaffee was regarded as a staunch opponent of slavery. Since 1850 he was married to Irene Emerson, widow of the former owner of the slave Dred Scott, which should go down in history by a controversial ruling by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney soon. By his marriage Chaffee has now been involved in this case. After all, his wife was still officially in 1857 " owner " of the controversial slaves. This Chaffee was even associated with slavery. He initiated the return of Scott to the former owner for the purpose of emancipation. Nevertheless, his political reputation was damaged. For this reason he resigned in 1858 to further Congress candidacy.

Between 1860 and 1862 Calvin Chaffee as Archivist ( Librarian ) was employed by the Congress government. Then he practiced until 1876 in the German capital Washington as a doctor. Then he returned to Springfield. From 1880 to 1893 he was president of the Union Relief Association. Calvin Chaffee died on August 8, 1896 in Springfield, where he was also buried.