Samuel Maclay
Samuel Maclay (* June 17, 1741 in Lurgan Township, Pennsylvania, † October 5, 1811 in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician ( Democratic- Republican), who represented the state of Pennsylvania in both houses of Congress.
Born in what is now Franklin County Samuel Maclay was the younger brother of William Maclay, who served as one of the first two U.S. senators for Pennsylvania from 1789 to 1791. After completing his education, he worked in agriculture and as a surveyor before he fought on the American side in the Revolutionary War.
His first political mandate Maclay had held as a deputy in the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 1787-1791. Thereafter, he served from 1792 to 1795 as an assistant judge at the Court of Franklin County. On 4 March 1795 he then moved into a House of Representatives of the United States, where he remained until March 3, 1797 another term in the House of Representatives in his home state joined immediately. From 1798 to 1802, he sat in the Senate of Pennsylvania, where he held the office of Speaker from 1801.
As of March 4, 1803 Maclay finally took advantage of his position on the Senate of the United States, where he was followed by James Ross. On a state level, he was popular, and was occasionally mentioned as a candidate for the post of governor, but the corresponding nomination fell in 1808 to Simon Snyder. During his time in the Senate he came into conflict with parts of his own party because he was critical of the trade embargo imposed by President Thomas Jefferson and criticized the nomination of James Madison as Jefferson's successor; he was on the side of George Clinton. Since Madison's nomination in Pennsylvania came primarily on encouragement, Maclay saw no chance for re-election by the state legislature and therefore resigned before the expiration of his term of office on January 4, 1809.
He then sat down to rest and died two years later in Buffalo. He was buried on the Dries Bach Church Cemetery. Maclays son William was also politicians and belonged from 1815 to 1821 the U.S. House of Representatives on.