Silas Wright soon began a career in politics and government, serving as St Lawrence County's surrogate judge, a member of the New York State Senate, and a brigadier general in the state militia.
43 Facts About Silas Wright
2.
Silas Wright became a member of the Albany Regency, the coterie of friends and supporters of Martin Van Buren who led New York's Democratic Party beginning in the 1820s.
3.
Silas Wright died in Canton in 1847, and was buried at Old Canton Cemetery.
4.
The elder Silas Wright commanded a company of militia during the War of 1812 and took part in the Battle of Plattsburgh.
5.
The younger Silas Wright was educated in the public schools of Addison County and at Middlebury Academy.
6.
Silas Wright was an exceptional student, and received his teaching credentials when he was thirteen.
7.
Silas Wright taught school in Rutland and Addison Counties from 1808 to 1810 while preparing to attend college.
8.
Silas Wright was admitted to the bar in 1819 and began to travel through upstate New York looking for a place to establish himself in a legal career.
9.
Silas Wright began a law practice and was involved in politics as a Democratic-Republican, and served in local offices including justice of the peace, overseer of roads, town clerk, and school inspector.
10.
Silas Wright was surrogate of St Lawrence County from 1821 to 1824.
11.
When his company was grouped with several others to form the 7th Regiment in 1825, Silas Wright was appointed commander with the rank of major.
12.
Silas Wright resigned in 1829, when his assumption of the New York State Comptroller's post required him to spend the majority of his time in Albany.
13.
The convention was dominated by supporters of Governor DeWitt Clinton and Silas Wright was known to be a member of the Bucktails faction, but St Lawrence County's Democratic-Republicans were anxious to end the Clinton-Van Buren rivalry prior to the 1824 presidential election.
14.
When Silas Wright took his seat in January 1824, he became involved in an Albany Regency effort to remove DeWitt Clinton from the Erie Canal Commission.
15.
Ward requested that the senate investigate, and Silas Wright was named chairman of the committee that examined the question.
16.
Silas Wright's committee concluded that most of the charges in the newspapers were false, but that there was enough truth in them to recommend that Ward be expelled from the senate.
17.
In 1826, Silas Wright was elected to the US House as a Bucktail.
18.
Silas Wright served in the 20th Congress, March 4,1827 to February 16,1829.
19.
Silas Wright was a candidate for reelection to the 21st Congress in 1828, but appeared to lose to George Fisher.
20.
Silas Wright contested the results, but Fisher was seated and served from March 4,1829 to February 5,1830, when the contest was decided in Silas Wright's favor.
21.
Already serving as state comptroller, Silas Wright declined to qualify for the House seat, which remained vacant until Jonah Sanford was seated following a special election in November 1830.
22.
The comptroller was elected by a joint ballot of the state legislature for a three-year term and the legislators selected Silas Wright to fill the vacancy.
23.
Silas Wright was reelected in February 1832 and served until January 4,1833, when he resigned to accept election to the US Senate.
24.
In 1833, Wright was the successful Democratic nominee for US Senator, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of William L Marcy.
25.
Silas Wright was reelected in 1837 and served from January 4,1833 to November 26,1844.
26.
Silas Wright served as chairman of the Finance Committee from 1836 to 1841.
27.
Silas Wright supported Henry Clay's compromise Tariff of 1833 and voted for the Tariff of 1842.
28.
An opponent of centralized banking, Silas Wright defended Andrew Jackson's removal of federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States during the Bank War and opposed the recharter of the United States Bank.
29.
Silas Wright opposed Clay's plan to distribute surplus federal funds to the states.
30.
When Van Buren succeeded Jackson as president in 1837, Silas Wright supported his plan for an Independent Treasury to replace the Bank of the United States.
31.
In 1838, Silas Wright opposed William Cabell Rives' resolution declaring that citizens of the states had no right to interfere with slavery in the federal territories and that the residents of the territories had jurisdiction.
32.
In 1844, Silas Wright declined Tyler's offer to appoint him to a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court.
33.
Silas Wright had campaigned for Martin Van Buren in 1840, when Van Buren lost his bid for reelection as president.
34.
When Silas Wright told the emissaries his refusal was firm, they returned to Baltimore, then spent the next day sending messages by telegraph in an effort to get him to reconsider.
35.
Silas Wright accepted, and entered the general election contest against Whig nominee Millard Fillmore.
36.
Silas Wright took the side of the patroon landlords in New York's Anti-Rent War.
37.
Silas Wright was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846, losing to Whig nominee John Young, who was supported by the anti-rent tenants.
38.
Silas Wright's death was sudden and surprised his political supporters, who had been planning to offer him as a candidate in the 1848 presidential election.
39.
In 1833, Silas Wright married Clarissa Moody, the daughter of the family friend who had persuaded him to settle in Canton.
40.
The people of Weybridge, Vermont erected a monument to Silas Wright; it includes sculptures by Erastus Dow Palmer and stands in the center of town along Vermont Route 23.
41.
The Silas Wright memorial inspired the name of a nearby dairy, Monument Farms.
42.
Silas Wright was the namesake of Wright County, Missouri and Wright County, Minnesota.
43.
The Silas Wright House at 3 East Main Street in Canton is a museum and the home of the St Lawrence County Historical Association.