Theodore Foster (April 29, 1752January 13, 1828) was an American lawyer and politician from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but i ...

. He was a member of the

Federalist Party The Federalist Party was a conservative political party which was the first political party in the United States. As such, under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. Defeated by the Jeffersonian Repub ...

and later the

National Republican Party The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans, was a political party in the United States that evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John ...

. He served as one of the first two United States senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate.

Early life

Foster was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts in 1752. He engaged in

classical studies Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

at the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now known as Brown University), graduating in 1770. He then studied law and lived with fellow student Solomon Drowne. He was admitted to the bar association in 1771 and remained in

to practice law, beginning his law practice in Providence. He was town clerk in Providence from 1775–1787. He earned his master's degree from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

in 1786. Foster was a protege of Brown University's first chancellor, Chief Justice of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and revolutionary patriot Stephen Hopkins. Foster married the sister of the future governor of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Arthur Fenner.

American Revolution

Foster played a role in the Gaspee Affair of 1772, along with John Brown and others, which helped catalyze events leading to up to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

. Foster distinguished himself as a staunch supporter of General George Washington and the

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

cause.

Later life

Until 1790 Foster held various positions in the government of Rhode Island. He was then elected to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

, beginning his service on June 12, 1790. Rhode Island's

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

re-elected him in 1791 and 1797, and he served until March 3, 1803, when he retired from public life to engage in writing and historical research. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1820. Foster became a passionate collector of numerous documents relating to colonial Providence. He helped found the

Rhode Island Historical Society The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island. Its offices are located in Providence, Rhode Island. History Foun ...

in 1822. Foster's heirs sold his extensive collection of historical documents to the Society in 1833. Many of these documents are unpublished. During the latter period, Foster also served as a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...

of Brown University. Foster returned to public life to serve in the Rhode Island state legislature from 1812 to 1816. He lived in the town of Foster, Rhode Island, which was named after him. When Solomon Drowne moved back to Rhode Island he lived on a farm (

Mt. Hygeia Mt. Hygeia (also known as the "Solomon Drown House") is an historic farm property at 83 Mt. Hygeia Road in Foster, Rhode Island, United States. History Dr. Solomon Drowne Dr. Solomon Drowne (also known as Solomon Drown) (March 11, 1753 &nda ...

) next to Foster's. Foster died on January 13, 1828, and is interred in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.

Family life

Foster's father was Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice

Jedediah Foster Jedediah Foster (October 10, 1726October 17, 1779) was a judge and advocate for independence during the American Revolution, and ultimately a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Foster was born in Andover, Massachusetts and studi ...

, who graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1744. Foster was the elder brother of Senator Dwight Foster of Massachusetts, and the great uncle of

Massachusetts Attorney General The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected constitutionally defined executive officer of the Massachusetts Government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder al ...

and Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Dwight Foster.

References

External links

*
''Theodore Foster's Minutes of the Convention Held at South Kingstown, Rhode Island, in March, 1790: Which Failed to Adopt the Constitution of the United States'' preview at Google books An article on his life from the Rhode Island Historical Society

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Theodore 1752 births 1828 deaths People from Brookfield, Massachusetts People of colonial Massachusetts People of colonial Rhode Island American people of English descent Pro-Administration Party United States senators from Rhode Island Federalist Party United States senators from Rhode Island Rhode Island National Republicans Members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives People from Foster, Rhode Island 18th-century American lawyers Dartmouth College alumni Brown University alumni Members of the American Antiquarian Society Political leaders of the American Revolution Patriots in the American Revolution People of Rhode Island in the American Revolution Burials at Swan Point Cemetery