Theodore Foster (April 29, 1752January 13, 1828) was an American lawyer and politician 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 ...

. He was a member of the

Federalist Party The Federalist Party was a conservativeMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 17 ...

and later the

National Republican Party The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans, was a political party in the United States which evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John ...

. He served as one of the first two United States senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate.

Early life

Foster was born in

Brookfield, Massachusetts Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Brookfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660. The population was 3,439 at the 2020 census. History Brookfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660 and was offici ...

in 1752. He engaged in

classical studies Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages ...

at the college in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now known as

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

), graduating in 1770. He then studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

and lived with fellow student Solomon Drowne. He was admitted to the

bar association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence.

in 1771 and remained in

to practice law, beginning his law practice in Providence. He was town clerk in Providence from 1775 to 1787. He earned his master's degree from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 1786. Foster was a protege of Brown University's first chancellor, Chief Justice of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and revolutionary patriot Stephen Hopkins. Foster married the sister of the future governor of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Arthur Fenner.

American Revolution

Foster played a role in the Gaspee Affair of 1772, along with

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

and others, which helped catalyze events leading to up to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Foster distinguished himself as a staunch supporter of General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and the

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

cause.

Later life

Until 1790 Foster held various positions in the government of Rhode Island. He was then elected to the

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

, beginning his service on June 12, 1790. Rhode Island's

state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...

re-elected him in 1791 and 1797, and he served until March 3, 1803, when he retired from public life to engage in writing and historical research. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1820. Foster became a passionate collector of numerous documents relating to colonial Providence. He helped found the

Rhode Island Historical Society The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island. Its offices are located in Providence, Rhode Island. History Foun ...

in 1822. Foster's heirs sold his extensive collection of historical documents to the Society in 1833. Many of these documents are unpublished. During the latter period, Foster also served as a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of Brown University. Foster returned to public life to serve in the Rhode Island state legislature from 1812 to 1816. He lived in the town of

Foster, Rhode Island Foster is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 4,469 at the 2020 census. History Foster was originally settled in the 17th century by British colonists as a farming community. In the year 1662, Will ...

, which was named after him. When Solomon Drowne moved back to Rhode Island he lived on a farm ( Mt. Hygeia) next to Foster's. Foster died on January 13, 1828, and is interred in

Swan Point Cemetery Swan Point Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Established in 1846 on a 60-acre (0.24 km2) plot of land, it has approximately 40,000 interments. History The cemetery was first organize ...

in Providence.

Family life

Foster's father was Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Jedediah Foster, who graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1744. Foster was the elder brother of Senator Dwight Foster of Massachusetts, and the great-uncle of

Massachusetts Attorney General The Massachusetts attorney general is an elected constitutionally defined executive officer of the Massachusetts government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder ...

and Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Dwight Foster.

References

External links

*
''Theodore Foster's Minutes of the Convention Held at South Kingstown, Rhode Island, in March, 1790: Which Failed to Adopt the Constitution of the United States'' preview at Google books An article on his life from the Rhode Island Historical Society

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Theodore 1752 births 1828 deaths People from Brookfield, Massachusetts People from colonial Massachusetts People from colonial Rhode Island Pro-Administration Party United States senators from Rhode Island Federalist Party United States senators from Rhode Island Rhode Island National Republicans Members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives People from Foster, Rhode Island 18th-century American lawyers Dartmouth College alumni Brown University alumni Political leaders of the American Revolution Patriots in the American Revolution People of Rhode Island in the American Revolution Burials at Swan Point Cemetery 19th-century United States senators 18th-century United States senators