James Hillhouse Declines With The Federalist Party
James Hillhouse was a long time US Senator and one of the last holdouts of the Federalist Party.
James Hillhouse
James Hillhouse graduated Yale and began a law practice just before the Revolutionary War began.
Hillhouse joined the fight by serving as a Captain in Connecticut’s Governor’s Foot Guard where he failed to prevent an invasion of New Haven.
By 1780 he was back in the boardroom, serving in the State Assembly.
Additionally, he was appointed as Treasurer of Yale, a position he would hold for the next 50 years.
Senator
After spending the next decade in the State Government, James was elected to the second session of the US House of Representatives.
In 1795, when Oliver Ellsworth was placed on the Supreme Court, Hillhouse was selected as his replacement in the Senate.
He would remain as a Senator for the following 14 years.
Federalist Holdout
During his time in office, Hillhouse became one of the last holdouts of the Federalist Party.
He was one of the few Senators to vote against the Louisiana Purchase due to its questionable constitutionality.
In one of his last political moves, James was an attendee at the ill fated Hartford Convention.
Though this meeting didn’t call for New England to separate from the Union (as was accused at the time) it was bad for almost everyone who attended.
With his political career all but over, Hillhouse returned to Connecticut where he continued his law career and invested heavily in land speculation.
Want to learn more about the Hartford Convention?
Great, check this article out:
Harrison Gray Otis Organizes The Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was fascinating and is not discussed often enough.
To learn more about this affair, check out ‘The Origins of Party Politics.’
Pick it up through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same) .
