Carlos Coolidge (June 25, 1792 – August 15, 1866) was an American Whig politician, a lawyer, a Vermont state representative, the Speaker of the Vermont House, a

state senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

, and the 19th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

Biography

Coolidge was born in Windsor, Vermont, in 1792. He attended the schools of Windsor, and studied with Reverend James Converse of Weathersfield in preparation for attending college. He began studies at

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 ...

, transferred to

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

in 1809, and graduated with honors in 1811. He studied law with Peter Starr of Middlebury, and then with Jonathan H. Hubbard of Windsor, attained admission to the bar, and began a practice in Windsor in 1814. Coolidge was active well into his old age, and practiced for more than fifty years. On September 22, 1817, Coolidge married Harriet Bingham and the couple had two daughters, Mary and Harriet. Mary Coolidge (1818–1875) was the wife of Reverend Franklin Butler (1814–1880). Harriet (1826–1831) died at the age of 5.

Career

In 1816, Coolidge was commissioned as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the Vermont Militia, and assigned to 1st Regiment, 4th Division. He remained in the militia for several years, and advanced to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and commander of the regiment. Coolidge was one of the first members of the state Board of Bank Commissioners. He was elected

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

for Windsor County and served from 1831 until 1836. He was a Representative in the Vermont House from 1834 to 1837, and served as Speaker from 1836 to 1837. He served in the House again from 1839 to 1842, and was again Speaker of the House. In 1835 he received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

. Coolidge was one of Vermont's presidential electors in 1844, and cast his ballot for

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

and Theodore Frelinghuysen. He served as President of the

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

Whig Convention in 1847, which passed resolutions opposing the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and the acquisition of territory by conquest, and in favor of the

Wilmot Proviso The Wilmot Proviso was an unsuccessful 1846 proposal in the United States Congress to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico in the Mexican–American War. The conflict over the Wilmot Proviso was one of the major events leading to the ...

. Coolidge's anti-slavery views also included the idea of returning freed slaves to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

as settlers, and he was active in both the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the repatriation of freeborn peop ...

and the Vermont Colonization Society. Coolidge served two terms as

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

from October 1, 1848, to October 11, 1850. During his tenure, a

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

and

Circuit Court Circuit courts are court systems in several common law jurisdictions. It may refer to: * Courts that literally sit 'on circuit', i.e., judges move around a region or country to different towns or cities where they will hear cases; * Courts that s ...

System was established. He received an honorary LL.D. degree from

in 1849. After serving as Governor Coolidge returned to his law practice in Windsor. He became a Republican when the party was founded in the 1850s, and served in the Vermont State Senate from 1853 to 1857, after which he again returned to his law practice.

Death

Coolidge died in Windsor, Vermont, on August 15, 1866, and is interred in Windsor's Old South Church Cemetery. He was a distant relative of

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

References

External links

The Political Graveyard

History of Windsor County, Vermont
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coolidge, Carlos 1792 births 1866 deaths People from Windsor, Vermont Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont Middlebury College alumni Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont Vermont Whigs Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Governors of Vermont Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Whig Party state governors of the United States Carlos 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly