Thomas Davis (Rhode Island politician)
Thomas Davis | |
---|---|
Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives | |
In office 1887–1890 | |
Member of the Rhode Island Senate | |
In office 1845 – 1853 1877–1878 | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 1st district | |
In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | |
Preceded by | George Gordon King |
Succeeded by | Nathan B. Durfee |
Personal details | |
Born | Dublin, Ireland | December 18, 1806
Died | July 26, 1895 Providence, Rhode Island, US | (aged 88)
Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery Providence, Rhode Island |
Nationality | Irish-American |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Eliza Chase Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis (1849-1876) |
Occupation | Manufacturer Politician Abolitionist |
Committees | Providence school committee |
Thomas Davis (December 18, 1806 – July 26, 1895) was an Irish-American manufacturer, politician and abolitionist. He was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and served in the Rhode Island State Senate and the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Early life and education
Davis was born in Dublin, Ireland, where he attended private schools. In 1817, he emigrated with his family to the United States and they settled in Providence, Rhode Island. In Providence, he engaged in jewelry manufacturing and became quite wealthy.
Political career
He became involved in politics and was a member of the Rhode Island State Senate from 1845 to 1853.[1] Davis was elected to the Thirty-third Congress, and served from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855.[2] While in Congress, he was outspoken about his disapproval of the Missouri Compromise.[3] In 1854, he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Thirty-fourth Congress, and returned to his manufacturing pursuits.
Davis hoped to return to Congress, and was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Thirty-sixth, Forty-second, Forty-third, and Forty-sixth Congresses.[4] He served in the State Senate again in 1877 and 1878,[5] and was a member of the State House from 1887-1890.
He was an abolitionist and was against the real estate requirement for voting that Rhode Island imposed upon naturalized citizens.[6][7] Davis was on the North Providence, Rhode Island executive school committee,[8] and was a member of the Rhode Island Historical Society.[9]
Death and legacy
Davis died in Providence on July 26, 1895 and is interred in Swan Point Cemetery.[10]
In 2003, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.[11]
Family life
Davis' first wife was Eliza Chase.[12] Following Eliza's death, he married abolitionist, suffragist, and educator Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis in 1849.[13][14] The couple adopted two daughters, and remained together until Paulina's death in 1876.[15]
References
- ^ United States. Government Printing Office (1918). Congressional serial set. U.S. G.P.O. p. 596.
- ^ Douglas, Frederick (2009). The Frederick Douglass Papers: 1842-1852. Yale University Press. p. 27.
- ^ Rhode Island Historical Society (1896). Publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Volume 4. The Societu. p. 53.
- ^ United States. Government Printing Office (1918). Congressional serial set. U.S. G.P.O. p. 596.
- ^ Stanton, Elizabeth Cady (2003). The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: National protection for national citizens, 1873 to 1880. Rutgers University Press,. p. 254.
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: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Conley, Patrick T. and Flanders, Robert J. (2011). The Rhode Island State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 132.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Congressman Thomas Davis". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ Bicknell, T.W. and Stockwell, T.B. (1871). The Rhode Island Schoolmaster, Volume 17. Providence Press Company. p. 29.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Arnold, James N. (1996). The Narragansett Historical Register. Heritage Books. p. 126.
- ^ Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried: A Directory Containing More Than Twenty Thousand Names of Notable Persons Buried in American Cemeteries, with Listings of Many Prominent People who Were Cremated. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 296.
- ^ "Congressman Thomas Davis". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ Douglas, Frederick (2009). The Frederick Douglass Papers: 1842-1852. Yale University Press. p. 27.
- ^ Danforth, Charolotte (2006). American Heirloom Baby Names. Penguin.
- ^ Rhode Island Historical Society (1896). Publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Volume 4. The Societu. p. 50.
- ^ James, Edward T. and Wilson, Janet (1971). Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 2. Harvard University Press. p. 444.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
- United States Congress. "Thomas Davis (id: D000135)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- 1806 births
- 1895 deaths
- Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
- Members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island
- People from Dublin (city)
- Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Democrats
- Rhode Island State Senators
- People from Providence County, Rhode Island
- American abolitionists
- Burials at Swan Point Cemetery
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- 19th-century American politicians
- 19th-century American businesspeople