STATUES: THE PEOPLE THEY SALUTE-Jacob Collamer

National Statuary Hall Collection Blog Series

STATUES: THE PEOPLE THEY SALUTE-Jacob Collamer

Jacob Collamer is one of the subjects of a statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection representing Vermont. Jacob was born January 8, 1791 in Troy, New York, just a few weeks shy of Vermont becoming the 14th U.S. state. He moved with his family in 1795 to Burlington, Vermont.

Jacob Collamer went on the graduate from the University of Vermont, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1813. He served in the Vermont Militia during the War of 1812, first with an artillery unit on Vermont's border with Canada and then promoted to first lieutenant as an aide-de-camp to Brigadier General John French.

In September of 1814, French’s unit was called to upstate New York in response to warnings of an imminent British Invasion. Collamer was sent by boat to inform Commander Samuel Strong that French’s troops were on their way. Collamer was fired on by American sentinels, but luckily was not hit! Strong informed Collamer that the Battle of Plattsburgh had taken place the day before, and the British had retreated, so French's troops were not needed. They returned home.

Jacob married Mary Stone in 1817 and the couple had several children. Elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1833, he served until 1842. From 1843 until 1849 Collamer served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also assistant judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont and later served as postmaster general under President Zachary Taylor.

As postmaster general, he introduced a permanent system for using postage stamps. He resigned the post after serving about 15 months, upon the death of President Zachary Taylor. The new president, Millard Fillmore wished to make his own appointments.

In 1855, Jacob was elected to the Senate as an anti-slavery Republican. In 1860, Jacob Collamer received the presidential nomination from Vermont, but withdrew after the first ballot.

Senator Collamer was independent-minded, and defended his votes even when in the minority. Although he spoke quietly and not that often, his years on the bench earned the respect of his colleagues. Senator Charles Sumner referred to Collamer as the "Green-Mountain Socrates” and called him the wisest and best balanced statesman of his time.

Jacob Collamer was still a serving Senator when he died at his home in Woodstock on November 9, 1865. In 1881, the state of Vermont donated a marble statue of Jacob Collamer created by Preston Powers to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U. S. Capitol.

Diana Erbio is a freelance writer and author of “Coming to America: A Girl Struggles to Find her Way in a New World”. Read more in her series about statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, here’s the link to the Table of Contents https://dianaerbio.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/statues-the-people-they-salute/

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