David Dudley Field II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Dudley Field II
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 7th district
In office January 11, 1877 – March 3, 1877
Preceded by	Smith Ely, Jr.
Succeeded by	Gerhard Anton (Anthony) Eickhoff
Personal details
Born	(1805-02-13)February 13, 1805 Haddam, Connecticut
Died	April 13, 1894(1894-04-13) (aged 89) New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Jane Lucinda Hopkins ​ ​ (m. 1829; died 1836)​ Harriet Davidson ​ (until 1864)​ Mary E. Carr ​ (until 1874)​
Education	Williams College (AB)
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David Dudley Field II (born February 13, 1805 – died April 13, 1894) was an important American lawyer. He helped change how lawsuits worked in the United States. His biggest achievement was creating the Field Code in 1850. This code made legal procedures much simpler.

Growing Up and Family

David Dudley Field II was born in Haddam, Connecticut. This was on February 13, 1805. He was the oldest of ten children. His father was a minister and local historian.

David had several famous brothers. Stephen Johnson Field became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Cyrus Field was a businessman. He helped create the Atlantic Cable. Another brother, Henry Martyn Field, was a well-known clergyman. David was also the uncle of U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Josiah Brewer.

He went to Williams College and finished in 1825. After college, he studied law in Albany, New York. He then moved to New York City. He became a lawyer in 1828. Soon, he became very good at his job. He joined a law firm and later became a partner.

In 1829, David married Jane Lucinda Hopkins. They had three children together. After Jane died in 1836, David married two more times. His oldest child, Dudley Field, also became a lawyer. He joined his father's law firm.

Making Laws Simpler

After practicing law for some years, David Dudley Field II felt that the legal system in America was too complicated. He thought it needed big changes. He wanted to make legal rules simpler and more organized.

The year 1836 was very sad for Field. His first wife, youngest child, and a brother all passed away. To deal with his sadness, he stopped practicing law for a while. He traveled to Europe for over a year. There, he studied how courts and laws worked in other countries. When he returned, he worked hard to simplify American law. He also started his own law firm. His brothers Stephen and Jonathan joined him.

Field's ideas for new laws were influenced by the 1825 Louisiana Code of Procedure. This code was based on French, Spanish, and Roman law. So, European legal ideas helped shape American law through Louisiana.

Field spent more than 40 years on this project. At first, people were not very interested. But in 1846, his ideas gained attention. He wrote a paper called "The Reorganization of the Judiciary." This paper helped change New York's state constitution.

In 1847, Field got a big chance. He was chosen to lead a state group. Their job was to update court rules. The first part of their work was finished in 1848. By 1850, New York had passed the complete Code of Civil Procedure. This became known as the Field Code. It was mostly his work.

The new system removed old differences in lawsuits. Before, you had to file different types of cases. Now, a person only needed to file one civil action, or lawsuit. This made things much easier. Eventually, 24 states adopted Field's code. It also influenced legal changes in England and other countries.

In 1857, Field led another group. This time, they worked to organize all of New York's state laws. He personally wrote most of the political and civil codes. The code for crimes was written by another member, William Curtis Noyes.

This big collection of laws was finished in 1865. New York only adopted a small part of it. But it became a guide for many other states. For example, California adopted many of Field's codes. This was thanks to his brother Stephen. Stephen was a judge in California. He helped California use Field's ideas more than any other state.

In 1866, Field suggested a plan to organize laws for all nations. He wrote a book called Draft Outlines of an International Code (1872). This led to a new group being formed. It was called the Association for the Reform and Codification of the Laws of Nations. Field became its president.

His Time in Politics

David Dudley Field II was first a Democrat who was against slavery. He supported Martin Van Buren in 1848. Later, he joined the Republican Party in 1856. He supported President Lincoln during the American Civil War.

Representing a Famous Client

In 1873, Field was part of the legal team for William M. Tweed. Tweed was a very well-known figure at the time. The first trial for Tweed ended without a clear decision. In a second trial, Tweed received a prison sentence.

Later Career

After 1876, Field returned to the Democratic Party. From January to March 1877, he served in the United States House of Representatives. He took over the term of Smith Ely, who became Mayor of New York City. During his short time in Congress, he gave several speeches. He also helped Samuel J. Tilden during the close presidential election of 1876. David Dudley Field II passed away in New York City in 1894.

Works

• Some of his writings were put together in Speeches, Arguments and Miscellaneous Papers (3 volumes, 1884–1890).
• You can also read the Life of David Dudley Field (New York, 1898). This book was written by his brother, Rev. Henry Martyn Field.

See also

• Young America Movement
• Hundred of Dudley
• Anthony Musgrave