John Lowell (June 17, 1743 – May 6, 1802) was a delegate to the

Congress of the Confederation The Congress of the Confederation, or the Confederation Congress, formally referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled, was the governing body of the United States from March 1, 1781, until March 3, 1789, during the Confederation ...

, a judge of the

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under the

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, a

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of the

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and a United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Court for the First Circuit.

Education and career

Born on June 17, 1743, in Newburyport,

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, Greenslet, Ferris. (1946) ''The Lowells and Their Seven Worlds,'' Boston: Houghton Mifflin. . Lowell 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 1760 and read law in 1763. He entered private practice in Newburyport from 1763 to 1771, 1773, and 1775. He was a selectman for Newburyport from 1771 to 1772, in 1774, and in 1776. In the spring of 1774, he signed addresses complimenting royal governors Thomas Hutchinson and Thomas Gage, but made a public apology for doing so at the end of the year. He served in the Massachusetts militia as a major in 1776 during the

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. He continued private practice in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

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from 1777 to 1778, and from 1779 to 1781. After moving to Boston, Lowell became the leading attorney in Massachusetts representing privateer claims before the Admiralty Court, which formed the basis of his fortune.Adams, Russell B., (1977) ''The Boston Money Tree,'' Thomas Y. Crowell Co., p. 36 Of the 1100 privateering claims handled in Boston, Lowell was lead counsel in approximately 700, and assistant counsel in half the rest. He was a member of the

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in 1778, and from 1780 to 1782. He was a delegate to the Massachusetts constitutional convention in 1780. He was a delegate to the

(

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) from 1782 to 1783. He was a judge of the

under the

starting in 1783. He was a member of a commission on the boundary between Massachusetts and New York in 1784. He was a member of the

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from 1784 to 1785, and a U.S. Senate candidate in 1788. From his practice of the law and shipping ventures John was able to acquire a large estate and a considerable sum of money throughout his lifetime and despite not being from the richest family growing up he was able to raise the value of the Lowell name.

Influence on abolition of slavery in Massachusetts

As a member of the Massachusetts constitutional convention of 1780, Lowell is best remembered for authoring Article I and his insistence upon its adoption into the

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, "All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties..." Lowell's son, the Rev. Charles Lowell, D.D., wrote in a personal letter eight decades later, "My father introduced into the Bill of Rights the clause by which Slavery was abolished in Massachusetts... and when it was adopted, exclaimed: 'Now there is no longer Slavery in Massachusetts, it is abolished and I will render my services as a lawyer gratis to any slave suing for his freedom if it is withheld from him...' and he did so defend the negro slave against his master under this clause of the constitution which was declared valid by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in 1783, and since that time Slavery in Mass. has had no legal standing."

Highlights of his congressional service

During Lowell's service, the Congress of the Confederation met in the library of Nassau Hall at

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and "congratulated

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on his successful termination of the war, received the news of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with

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, and welcomed the first foreign minister—from the

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—accredited to the United States."

Federal judicial service

Lowell was nominated by President

on September 24, 1789, to the

, to a new seat authorized by . He was confirmed by the

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on September 26, 1789, and received his commission on September 26, 1789. His service terminated on February 20, 1801, due to his elevation to the First Circuit. Lowell was nominated by President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

on February 18, 1801, to the United States Circuit Court for the First Circuit, to the new chief judge seat authorized by . He was confirmed by the Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on May 6, 1802, due to his death in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Membership

In 1778, John Lowell became an original trustee of

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. In 1780, Lowell became a charter member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

. In 1787, he was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

Family

Lowell's ancestor, Percival, a merchant, came from

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, to Newbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1639, and his father,

John 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 E ...

, was the first minister of Newburyport, where he officiated from 1726 to 1767. Lowell married his first wife, Sarah Higginson (January 14, 1745 – May 5, 1772), sister of Stephen Higginson, on January 8, 1767. They had three children, including John Lowell Jr. (1769–1840). John Lowell Jr.'s descendants include businessmen John Amory Lowell, Augustus Lowell, and Ralph Lowell; federal judges John Lowell and James Arnold Lowell; and siblings author and innovator Percival Lowell, Harvard President

A. Lawrence Lowell Abbott Lawrence Lowell (December 13, 1856 – January 6, 1943) was an American educator and legal scholar. He was president of Harvard University from 1909 to 1933. With an "aristocratic sense of mission and self-certainty," Lowell cut a large f ...

, and poet Amy Lowell. Lowell's wife Sarah died on May 5, 1772. Lowell married his second wife, Susanna Cabot (1754–1777), on May 31, 1774. Together they had two children, including Francis Cabot Lowell (1775–1817), a businessman and namesake of Lowell, Massachusetts. Descendants of Francis Cabot include businessman and philanthropist John Lowell Jr., federal judge Francis Cabot Lowell, and architect Guy Lowell. Susanna died on March 30, 1777. On December 25, 1778, Lowell married his third wife, Rebecca Russell (1747–1816). They had four children, including Charles Russell Lowell Sr. (1782–1861). Charles Russell's son was the American poet

James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets to r ...

; his grandsons included the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

figure Charles Russell Lowell and Boston banker and family lawyer William Lowell Putnam. illiam Lowell Putnam was a cousin several times removed to General Israel Putnam. See [A History of the Putnam Family in England and America. Recording ..., Volume 1 .p.87 and p.523 Rev George Putnam {William Lowell Putnam's grandfather)] His great-great-grandson was the poet Robert Lowell. Other notable children of the daughters and granddaughters of John Lowell include mathematician Julian Coolidge, and writer and biographer Ferris Greenslet.

Publications

* ''Pietas et Gratulatio'', a poem (1761) * Oration on James Bowdoin the elder (delivered January 26, 1795), ''Memoirs'' of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, v. 2 (prefix)

References

Sources

* *

External links

Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
*
The Massachusetts Historical Society

American Academy of Arts and Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell, John 1743 births 1802 deaths American people of English descent Continental Congressmen from Massachusetts Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard University alumni Judges of the United States circuit courts Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts Lawyers from Boston People from Newburyport, Massachusetts People from colonial Massachusetts Phillips Academy Politicians from Newburyport, Massachusetts United States federal judges appointed by George Washington United States federal judges appointed by John Adams Members of the American Philosophical Society Candidates in the 1788–1789 United States elections