Thomas Davis (Rhode Island)

Thomas Davis ( born December 18, 1806 Dublin, Ireland; † July 26, 1895 in Providence, Rhode Iceland ) was an American politician. From 1853 to 1855 he represented the first electoral district of the State of Rhode Iceland in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Thomas Davis was initially taught in private schools of his Irish homeland and emigrated in 1817 with his parents to the United States. The family settled in Providence. There he continued his education and started to work then in the jewel making. Politically, he joined the Democratic Party, founded by Andrew Jackson. From 1845 to 1853 he was a member of the Senate of Rhode Iceland. 1852 Davis was elected against incumbent George Gordon King of the Whig Party in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was by Benjamin Thurston Babock only the second Democrat ever, the Rhode Iceland represented as a deputy in Congress. But since he lost to Nathaniel B. Durfee already at the next elections in 1854, Davis was able to stay only one term in Congress until March 3, 1855.

After the end of his time in the House of Representatives Davis worked again in the jewel making. But he remained politically active. In the years 1858, 1870, 1872 and 1878, he ran unsuccessfully for each return in the Congress. Between 1877 and 1878 he was again in the state Senate and 1887-1890 he was a deputy in the House of Representatives from Rhode Iceland. In addition, he was still in school board of the city of Providence. Davis was married to the woman 's rights activist and abolitionist Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis since 1849. The couple had two adopted daughters.