Lyman Decatur Norris facts for kids
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Lyman Decatur Norris (born May 4, 1823, died January 6, 1894) was an important lawyer and politician from Michigan. He helped write Michigan's main rules (its constitution) in 1867 and served as a state senator, helping to make laws for Michigan from 1869 to 1871. He also played a part in the famous Dred Scott Case, a very important court case about slavery in the United States.
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Early Life and Education
Lyman Norris was born in Covington, New York. His father, Mark Norris, was a businessman who was against slavery. In 1828, when Lyman was five years old, his family moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Lyman started college at the University of Michigan in 1841. After three years, he moved to Yale University, where he studied law and earned his law degree. He then trained with a lawyer in Detroit and became a lawyer himself in Michigan in 1847.
Career as a Lawyer and Politician
Working in St. Louis
From 1848 to 1853, Lyman Norris worked as a lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri. During this time, he also became involved in politics as a member of the Democratic Party. He even helped run a newspaper called the St. Louis Daily Times, where he wrote about politics.
In 1849, Lyman Norris was part of a very important court case known as the Dred Scott Case. He represented the side that supported slavery. The case was about whether Dred Scott, an enslaved man, should be free because he had lived in areas where slavery was not allowed. Norris and his team argued that living in a "free-soil" area did not automatically make Scott free. They won this part of the case. Interestingly, Lyman Norris later offered Dred Scott a loan to buy his freedom.
Return to Michigan
In 1854, Lyman Norris moved back to Ypsilanti, Michigan. In 1867, he attended the Michigan Constitutional Convention. This was a special meeting where people worked to write or change the main rules for the state of Michigan.
In 1871, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He even ran for a position on the Michigan Supreme Court in 1875, which is the highest court in the state. In 1883, he was chosen to be a Regent for the University of Michigan, which meant he helped guide the university. Lyman Norris passed away in Grand Rapids on January 6, 1894.
Family Life
In 1854, Lyman Norris married Lucy Alsop Whittelsey. They had two children who survived: Mark Norris (born 1857) and Maria W. Norris (born 1858). Mark followed in his father's footsteps and became a lawyer, while Maria chose a different path and became a doctor.
