Calvin C. Chaffee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calvin C. Chaffee
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th district |
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| In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Dickinson |
| Succeeded by | Charles Delano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 28, 1811 Saratoga Springs, New York |
| Died | August 8, 1896 (aged 84) Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Know Nothing Republican |
| Spouses | Clara Nourse Eliza Irene Sanford |
| Children | Emma Lovetta Wilder (Chaffee) (daughter) Clemens Clifford Chaffee (son) Henrietta Sanford King (Emerson) (stepdaughter) |
| Parents | Calvin Chaffee Elizabeth Hall |
| Alma mater | Middlebury College |
| Occupation | Physician |
Calvin Clifford Chaffee (born August 28, 1811 – died August 8, 1896) was an American doctor and politician. He was known for being strongly against slavery.
Contents
Calvin Chaffee's Early Life and Career
Calvin Chaffee was born in Saratoga Springs, New York. He studied medicine at Middlebury College in Vermont. After graduating in 1835, he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. There, he started his medical practice as a doctor.
Becoming a Politician
In 1854, Chaffee was elected to the United States Congress. He ran with the American Party, which was a political group at the time. He was strongly against slavery, a view called abolitionism. Later, he joined the Republican Party and was re-elected to Congress in 1856.
Family Life
Calvin Chaffee was married twice. His first wife was Clara Nourse. They had two children together: a daughter named Emma and a son named Clemens. After Clara passed away in 1848, he married Eliza Irene Emerson in 1850. Irene had a daughter from her first marriage named Henrietta.
The Dred Scott Case and Chaffee's Role
Calvin Chaffee became involved in a very important legal case about slavery. His second wife, Irene, was the widow of Dr. John Emerson. Dr. Emerson had owned an enslaved man named Dred Scott. The Dred Scott case went all the way to the Supreme Court.
Chaffee's Actions for Freedom
In February 1857, Chaffee learned that his wife owned Dred Scott. This was just before the Supreme Court made its famous decision about the case. People criticized Chaffee because he was against slavery but was married to someone who owned a slave. To show his true beliefs, Chaffee quickly arranged for Dred Scott to be returned to his original owners, the Blow family. The Blow family then set Dred Scott free.
Life After Congress
Because of the attention from the Dred Scott case, Calvin Chaffee decided not to run for Congress again in 1858. From 1860 to 1862, he worked as the Librarian for the House of Representatives. He then continued to practice medicine in Washington, D.C., until 1876. After that, he returned to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he passed away in 1896 at the age of 84.
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Calvin C. Chaffee
