Amos Tuck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amos Tuck
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 1st district
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853
Preceded by	At-large
Succeeded by	George W. Kittredge
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office 1842
Personal details
Born	August 2, 1810 Parsonsfield, Maine, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	December 11, 1879 (aged 69) Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Other political affiliations	Democratic (until 1844) Liberty (1844–1846) Independent (1846–1848) Free Soil (1848–1850) Whig (1850–1854)
Relations	Amos Tuck French (grandson)
Children	Edward Tuck
Education	Dartmouth College
Occupation	Lawyer
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Amos Tuck (August 2, 1810 – December 11, 1879) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a key figure in New Hampshire and helped start the Republican Party.

Early Life and Learning

Amos Tuck was born in Parsonsfield, Maine, on August 2, 1810. His family had a long history in New Hampshire. He went to Effingham Academy and Hampton Academy. In 1835, he graduated from Dartmouth College. After college, he studied law and became a lawyer.

Amos Tuck's Career

Amos Tuck was a strong supporter of the Free Will Baptist's Parsonsfield Seminary. He even donated money to help it. Today, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College is named after him. He was an important person in Exeter for 40 years, from 1838 to 1879.

From 1836 to 1838, Tuck was the Headmaster of the Hampton Academy. This school was founded by his ancestors. In 1838, he became a lawyer and started his own practice in Exeter. Later, he became a trustee for Dartmouth College. After his time in politics, he worked as a Naval officer in Boston from 1861 to 1865. After the American Civil War, he went back to being a lawyer. He also became very successful and wealthy by building railroads.

His Time in Politics

In 1842, Tuck was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He was part of the Democratic Party at first. However, he disagreed with the party's leaders who supported slavery. In 1844, he was no longer part of the Democratic Party. Even so, he ran for Congress as an independent candidate and won. He served in the Thirtieth Congress.

In 1845, Tuck organized a meeting to support an anti-slavery candidate for Congress, John P. Hale. This meeting was later seen as the very beginning of the Republican Party. Tuck worked very hard to make this new party grow. Because of his efforts, John P. Hale was successfully elected in 1846.

Tuck himself ran for Congress again. He was a candidate for the Free-Soil Party in the Thirty-first Congress. Then he ran as a Whig for the Thirty-second Congress. He served three terms in Congress, from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1853. After this, he returned to Exeter. There, he started working to bring together many smaller political groups in New Hampshire.

Starting the Republican Party in New Hampshire

On October 12, 1853, Amos Tuck held a secret meeting in Exeter. A group of men who were against slavery attended. Tuck suggested they form a new party called "Republicans." This name had been used in New Hampshire politics before. A special plaque on the Squamscott House in Exeter remembers this important meeting. The people at the meeting worked to support different parties in the 1854 state elections. However, the Republican Party did not run its own candidates that year.

Tuck helped officially form the state Republican Party in 1856. He was also a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1856 and 1860. In 1861, he was chosen to attend a peace meeting in Washington, D.C. This meeting tried to find ways to stop the upcoming American Civil War.

Amos Tuck was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln and many other important people of his time. Some say he played a big part in helping Lincoln become president. According to historian Professor Frank Smallwood, Lincoln "would never have realized his goals... if his old friend, Amos Tuck of Exeter, New Hampshire... had not played such an influential role in helping him to secure the Republican party's presidential nomination in 1860."

Personal Life

Amos Tuck married Davida Nudd. They had a son named Edward Tuck, born on August 25, 1842. They also had a daughter, Ellen Tuck French.

Amos Tuck passed away in Exeter, New Hampshire, on December 11, 1879. He was buried in Exeter Cemetery.

His son, Edward Tuck, later helped fund and create the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. Edward also provided money for the New Hampshire Historical Society building in Concord, New Hampshire.

A group called the Amos Tuck Society was founded by his family and political followers. Their goal is to share the history of Amos Tuck's contributions, especially how he helped start the Republican Party. Edward Tuck also graduated from Dartmouth College and became a major donor. He earned his wealth from banking, railroads, and international trade. He even became a vice-consul to France.

See Also

• New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 240: Abraham Lincoln Speaks in New Hampshire