Sampson Willis Harris (1809-1857) was an American politician and lawyer in the states of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Early years and education

Harris was born on February 23, 1809, in

Elbert County, Georgia Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samue ...

, to Stephen Willis Harris, a judge of the

Superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

, and Sarah Herndon Harris. Young Harris graduated from the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in 1828, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1830. Harris established his law practice in Athens.

Political career

Harris was elected to the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

in 1833, and served one term from 1834 to 1835. After moving to

Wetumpka, Alabama Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century, Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city i ...

in 1838, Harris was elected as the solicitor of the eighth circuit in 1841. He then served in the

Alabama Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district con ...

in 1844 and 1845. Harris was then elected in 1846 to represent

Alabama's 3rd congressional district Alabama's 3rd congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama that elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It is based in east-central Alabama and encompasses all of Calhoun County, Ala ...

in the

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

during the

30th United States Congress The 30th 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 Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847, ...

and was reelected to three additional terms ( 31st, 32nd and 33rd Congresses) in that seat from March 4, 1847, until March 3, 1855. Harris won election to Alabama's 7th congressional district in 1854 and served in the 34th Congress and served from March 4, 1855, until March 3, 1857.

Death and legacy

Harris did not seek reelection in 1856 and died on April 1, 1857, in

Washington, D. C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, less than a month after leaving congressional office. He was survived by his wife, Paulina Harris, and four of his five siblings. A small

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

still stands in the

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...

in Washington, D.C., commemorating Harris and his work for his country. He was buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens. His son, Sampson Watkins Harris, was born in Wetumpka, Alabama on March 29, 1828, but later moved to Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia. Sampson Watkins Harris practiced law, served as a colonel in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

, was Georgia adjutant-general, and was offered appointments to the Supreme Court of Georgia and the position of

Georgia Secretary of State The Secretary of state (U.S. state government), secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records. ...

, both of which he declined.

References

External links

* *
Speech of the Hon. Sampson W. Harris, of Alabama on the Measures of Compromise: Delivered in the House of Representatives, June 10, 1850 (Classic Reprint) Hardcover – September 15, 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Sampson Willis 1809 births 1857 deaths Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Democratic Party Alabama state senators University of Georgia alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama People from Elbert County, Georgia Burials at Oconee Hill Cemetery 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature