Edward Dickinson (January 1, 1803 – June 16, 1874) was an American politician from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. He is also known as the father of the poet

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

; their family home in Amherst, the

Dickinson Homestead The Emily Dickinson Museum is a historic house museum consisting of two houses: the Dickinson Homestead (also known as Emily Dickinson Home or Emily Dickinson House) and the Evergreens. The Dickinson Homestead was the birthplace and home from 1 ...

, is a museum dedicated to her.

Life and career

Houghton EDR 467 - Wild Flowers Drawn, dedication

Dickinson, the eldest son of Hon. Samuel Fowler Dickinson and Lucretia (Gunn) Dickinson, was born in

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (although the county seat ...

, where he attended public schools and the Amherst Academy. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1823 and studied at Northampton Law School in

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an a ...

. He was admitted to the bar and commenced law practice in Amherst in 1826. On May 6, 1828, he married

Emily Norcross Dickinson 200px, Portrait of Emily Norcross Dickinson, 1840. By Otis Bullard Emily Norcross Dickinson (née Norcross, July 3, 1804 – November 14, 1882) was a member of the Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts, and the mother of American poet Emily Di ...

(1804–1882); they had three children: William Austin, Emily Elizabeth, and Lavinia Norcross. Dickinson served as treasurer of

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

from 1835 until 1873. He received an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from Amherst in 1863. He served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

1838–1839 and in the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

from 1842–1843. He was a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council in 1846 and 1847. He was then elected as a Whig to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

1853–1855 and subsequently declined candidacy for the Republican nomination of Lieutenant Governor in 1861 before returning to the

in 1873. He was elected for the main purpose of securing to the town the advantages of the Massachusetts Central Railroad. On the morning of June 16, 1874, after a careful speech in the House on his connection with the

Hoosac Tunnel The Hoosac Tunnel (also called Hoosic or Hoosick Tunnel) is a active railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts that passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. It runs in a straight line from its east portal, al ...

, he suffered an

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

and died at his hotel before evening. He is buried in Amherst's West Cemetery.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickinson, Edward 1803 births 1874 deaths Politicians from Amherst, Massachusetts Dickinson family Yale College alumni Northampton Law School alumni Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 19th-century American poets American male poets 19th-century American politicians

Life and career

See also

External links