Jonathan Chace (July 22, 1829June 30, 1917) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Biography

Born at

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...

, the son of Harvey Chace and the grandson of Oliver Chace. In 1854, he married Jane C. Moon, and they had three children: Anna H., Elizabeth M. and Susan A. (the latter deceased). He was also the nephew of famed 19th century abolitionist

Elizabeth Buffum Chace Elizabeth Buffum Chace (December 9, 1806 – December 12, 1899) was an American activist in the anti-slavery, women's rights, and prison reform movements of the mid-to-late 19th century. She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of F ...

and had himself been active in the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

during his time in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, where he operated a dry goods store.Chace Family papers
/ref> He attended the public schools and Friends' School at

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

. He moved to

Central Falls, Rhode Island Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,583 at the 2020 census. With an area of only , it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the 23rd most densel ...

and engaged in cotton manufacturing; he was a member of the

Rhode Island Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...

in 1876-1877 and was elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses and served from March 4, 1881, to January 26, 1885, when he resigned. Chace was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Henry B. Anthony Henry Bowen Anthony (April 1, 1815 – September 2, 1884) was a United States newspaperman and political figure. He served as editor and was later part owner of the ''Providence Journal''. He was the 21st Governor of Rhode Island, serving bet ...

; he was reelected in 1888 and served from January 20, 1885, to April 9, 1889, when he resigned. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment (Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses), and sponsored a bill presaging the

International Copyright Act of 1891 The International Copyright Act of 1891 (, March 3, 1891) is the first U.S. congressional act that extended limited protection to foreign copyright holders from select nations. Formally known as the "International Copyright Act of 1891", but more ...

, sometimes referred to as the Chace Act. He was president of the Phoenix National Bank of Providence, Rhode Island, and was interested in several manufacturing enterprises. Chace died in Providence in 1917, and was interred in the

North Burial Ground The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island dating to 1700, the first public cemetery in Providence. It is located north of downtown Providence, bounded by North Main Street, Branch Avenue, the Moshassuck River, and C ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chace, Jonathan 1829 births 1917 deaths Republican Party Rhode Island state senators Politicians from Fall River, Massachusetts Republican Party United States senators from Rhode Island Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island People from Central Falls, Rhode Island Politicians from Providence County, Rhode Island Burials at North Burying Ground (Providence) Underground Railroad people 20th-century African-American politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly 19th-century African-American politicians

Biography

See also

References