Daniel Cady
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Daniel Cady (April 29, 1773 – October 31, 1859) was an American lawyer, politician and judge in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
. The father of activist
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton ( Cady; November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American writer and activist who was a leader of the women's rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century. She was the main force behind the 1848 ...
, Judge Cady served one term as a U.S. representative from New York.


Life

Cady was born in that part of
Canaan CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : D ...
,
Columbia County, New York Columbia County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 61,570. The county seat is Hudson, New York, Hudson. The name comes from th ...
which was later split off to form
Chatham, New York Chatham is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Columbia County, New York, Columbia County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 4,104 at the 2020 census, down from the 2010 census.US Census Bureau, 2020 ...
. He was a son of Eleazer Cady (1745–1819) and Tryphena (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Beebe) Cady (1749–1839). His siblings included Typhema Cady (1768–?), Zilpha Cady Halsey (1770–1858), Eleazer Cady (1775–1856), Ruth Cady (1777–?), and Sally Cady Eaton (1780–1816). He was uncle to John W. Cady (1790–1854), who was also a U.S. representative from New York.


Career

He learned the
shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or '' cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cen ...
's trade, but accidentally injured an eye and lost the sight of it at age 18. He then studied law, first in Canaan with Judge Whiting, then in
Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
with John Woodworth at the Albany Law School. Cady was admitted to the bar in 1795, and commenced practice in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, Montgomery County. After a year in Florida, he moved to Johnstown, then the county seat. As a young lawyer, he worked with such notables as
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...
and
Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...
, and toward the end of his career, he served on a case with
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, where they each represented clients in a land dispute associated with
Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1846 when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It has an enrollment of roughly 1,000 undergradua ...
.


Public office

Cady was elected as a member of the
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...
in 1808, serving three consecutive terms in the 32nd, 33rd and 34th New York State Legislatures beginning on July 1, 1808, and continuing until June 30, 1811. From February to April 1813, Cady again served in the Assembly, this time the 36th New York State Legislature, while he was also the District Attorney of the Fifth District, which comprised Albany, Saratoga, Montgomery, Schoharie and
Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...
counties. Cady was elected as a
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 ...
to the
14th United States Congress The 14th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washing ...
, holding office from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817. He was not a candidate for renomination and after serving in the U.S. Congress, returned to the practice of law. From June 7, 1847, to January 1, 1855, Cady was a justice of the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
(4th D.) until he retired and resigned. Cady also served as an ''
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...
'' judge of the
New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...
in 1849 and 1853. In
1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – The American sidewheel steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatl ...
, Cady was a
presidential elector In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president in the presidential election. This process is described in ...
on the Republican
John C. Fremont John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
ticket. Cady presided over the New York
electoral college An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliament ...
, which cast 35 votes for Fremont who lost the election to Democrat
James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...
.


Legacy

He is considered by some the father of Fulton County, virtually engineering the county's creation in 1838 after the Montgomery county seat was moved from Johnstown to
Fonda, New York Fonda is a village in and the county seat of Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 668 at the 2020 census, down from 795 in 2010. The village is named after Douw Fonda, a Dutch-American settler who was killed and scalpe ...
. The newly established county was named after
Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...
, a cousin of Cady's wife.


Personal life

On July 8, 1801, Cady was married to Margaret Livingston (1785–1871), the daughter of Col. James Livingston, an officer in the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
during the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
who fought at Saratoga and
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, and assisted in the capture of Major John Andre at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
. Five of their children died in early childhood or infancy. A sixth child, a son named Eleazar, died at age 20 just before his graduation from
Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
in
Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...
. Only five daughters lived well into adulthood and old age.Griffith, pp. 227–228; Stanton, ''Eighty Years & More'' Their surviving children included: * Tryphenia Cady (1804–1891), who married Edward Bayard (1806–1889), a Union College classmate of Eleazar and son of James Bayard, a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
. * Eleazer Livingston Cady (1806–1826), who died at age 20 just before his graduation from
Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
. * Harriet Elizabeth Cady (1810–1894), who married Daniel Cady Eaton (1804–1855), a son of
Amos Eaton Amos Eaton (May 17, 1776 – May 10, 1842) was an American botany, botanist, geologist, and educator who is considered the founder of the modern scientific prospectus in education, which was a radical departure from the American liberal arts tra ...
and brother of General Amos Beebe Eaton, and her first cousin. * Elizabeth Smith Cady (1815–1902), who married Henry Brewster Stanton, brother of Robert L. Stanton, in 1840. * Margaret Chinn Cady (1817–1901), who married Duncan McMartin (1817–1894), son of Duncan McMartin Jr., a New York State Senator. * Catherine Henry Cady (1820–1899), who married journalist and railroad executive Samuel Wilkeson (1817–1889), son of Samuel Wilkeson, a Mayor of Buffalo. His wife was an unusually tall woman for her time, had a commanding presence, whom their daughter Elizabeth described as "queenly."Griffith, pp.10–11 Margaret was said to have been emotionally devastated by the loss of so many children and fell into a depression, which prevented her from being fully involved in the lives of her surviving children. Cady died in Johnstown on October 31, 1859. He was buried at Johnstown Cemetery.


Descendants

Daniel Cady's wife's sister Elizabeth, who married Peter Gerrit Smith, was the mother of
Gerrit Smith Gerrit Smith (March 6, 1797 – December 28, 1874), also spelled Gerritt Smith, was an American social reformer, abolitionist, businessman, public intellectual, and philanthropist. Married to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh, Smith was a candidate for P ...
, the prominent
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
who was married to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh. Gerrit Smith was a candidate for
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
in
1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...
,
1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – The American sidewheel steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatl ...
, and
1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...
. Through his daughter Elizabeth,Baker, p. 107–108 Daniel Cady was the grandfather of Daniel Cady Stanton (1842–1891), Henry Brewster Stanton, Jr. (1844–1903), Gerrit Smith Stanton (1845–1927), Theodore Weld Stanton (1851–1925; a prominent journalist), Margaret Livingston Stanton Lawrence (1852–1930),
Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch Harriot Eaton Blatch ( Stanton; January 20, 1856 – November 20, 1940) was an American writer and suffragist. She was the daughter of pioneering women's rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Biography Harriot Eaton Stanton was born, the sixt ...
(1856–1940; also a suffragist), and Robert Livingston Stanton (1859–1920). Through his daughter Harriet, he was the grandfather of
Daniel Cady Eaton Daniel Cady Eaton (September 12, 1834 – June 29, 1895) was an American botanist and author. After studies at the Rensselaer Institute in Troy and Russell's military school in New Haven, he gained his bachelor's degree at Yale College, then w ...
(1834-1895), professor of botany at
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, ...
from the 1860s and the first Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut.


Notes


Bibliography

* Baker, Jean H. ''Sisters: The Lives of America's Suffragists.'' Hill and Wang, New York, 2005. . * Blatch, Harriot Stanton and Alma Lutz; ''Challenging Years: the Memoirs of Harriot Stanton Blatch''; G.P. Putnam's Sons; New York, NY, 1940. * Griffith, Elisabeth. ''In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.'' Oxford University Press; New York, NY, 1985. .


External links


Beloit College Archives



Daniel Cady Memorial Website

Daniel Cady Memorial Website - Letters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cady, Daniel 1773 births 1859 deaths Judges of the New York Court of Appeals People from Canaan, New York New York Supreme Court justices County district attorneys in New York (state) Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly 1856 United States presidential electors Livingston family Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Johnstown, New York American politicians with disabilities American lawyers with disabilities 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives