40 Facts About Samuel Nelson

Samuel Nelson was an American attorney and appointed as judge of New York State courts.

Samuel Nelson was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1872.

Samuel Nelson concurred on the 1857 Dred Scott decision, although for reasons different from Chief Justice Taney's.

Samuel Nelson's family was upper middle class, with a prosperous family farm.

Samuel Nelson was educated in the public schools of Hebron, with an additional three years in private schooling for college preparation.

Samuel Nelson read law as an apprentice at the firm of John Savage and David Woods in Salem, New York.

Samuel Nelson moved to Madison County to enter into partnership with Woods.

Samuel Nelson received his license to practice law in 1817, and entered private practice in Cortland.

Samuel Nelson developed a very successful practice, specializing in real estate and commercial law.

Samuel Nelson served as US Postmaster of Cortland from 1820 to 1823.

In 1821, Samuel Nelson served as a delegate to the New York Constitutional Convention, as one of the "Bucktails" faction led by Martin van Buren.

Samuel Nelson argued for expansion of suffrage and for restructuring the state judiciary.

Samuel Nelson became noted for his work in admiralty and maritime law, and his decisions were rarely appealed.

Samuel Nelson said that only the federal government had the right to legislate on the issue of fugitive slaves.

In 1845, Samuel Nelson was an unsuccessful candidate for US Senator in a special New York State Legislature election to fill the seat of Silas Wright.

At that time the New York state Democrats were split between factions known as Barnburners and Hunkers, and Samuel Nelson was identified with the Hunkers.

On February 4,1845, Samuel Nelson was nominated by President John Tyler as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to fill the vacant seat of Smith Thompson.

Tyler's nomination of Samuel Nelson was a surprise, but proved to be a popular choice.

Samuel Nelson was a highly respected chief justice on the New York Supreme Court, and had a reputation of staying out of partisan conflict.

The Whigs found Samuel Nelson acceptable because, although he was a Democrat, he had a reputation as a careful and uncontroversial jurist.

Samuel Nelson was the only Supreme Court Justice to be appointed by President Tyler.

Samuel Nelson served as a Justice for 27 years, until his retirement on November 28,1872.

Samuel Nelson could be described as a judicial minimalist, meaning he frequently took a moderate stance in cases offering a small, case-specific interpretation of the law, and placed a strong emphasis on precedent.

Justice Samuel Nelson remained good friends with Chief Justice Taney throughout his lifetime.

The suit was litigated for six years and came before the Supreme Court three different times before Justice Samuel Nelson's opinion ended it.

Justice Samuel Nelson was one of the most prolific opinion writers of the Taney era, but few of his opinions and decisions concerned the most important constitutional questions of the day: slavery and states rights.

That court's ruling, written by Samuel Nelson, found that the power to legislate on the subject of the fugitive slave clause resided exclusively with Congress, and that the New York law was void.

In Dred Scott, Samuel Nelson was originally assigned to write the majority opinion.

Samuel Nelson, avoiding controversy and partisanship as usual, did not address any of the other questions raised in the case, such as black citizenship and the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise.

Samuel Nelson issued a separate concurring opinion explaining his different reasoning.

Samuel Nelson was a northern Democrat and a Unionist, and was said to be inclined to anti-slavery views.

One of Justice Samuel Nelson's more noted opinions was his dissent issued in the Prize Cases.

Justice Samuel Nelson wrote the dissenting opinion, joined by Chief Justice Taney and Justices Catron and Clifford.

Samuel Nelson asserted that blockading ports and confiscating enemy property were war powers, and under international law could be exercised only after a formal declaration of war.

In 1871, President Ulysses S Grant appointed Nelson to serve on the joint high commission to arbitrate the Alabama Claims.

Samuel Nelson resigned from the commission in 1872, shortly before his death.

In 1819 Samuel Nelson married Pamela Woods, the daughter of David Woods and his wife.

Samuel Nelson brought his two children to the marriage and had six children with Catharine.

Samuel Nelson was appointed as the first United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota.

Samuel Nelson died in Cooperstown, New York, on December 13,1873.