Samuel Huntington – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
There was a time in this country when the son of a farmer could become a noted individual in politics such as the Governor of their Home State. But in this case, this son of a farmer only had a common school education and grew up to become one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence from Britain and later was elected governor of Connecticut. Samuel Huntington has a fascinating background because he was not your typical statesman of the time, he was a shy individual who had a basic education and was apprenticed out as a cooper but continued with his studies while helping his father with the family farm. He later studied the law under his future father–in–law and a few local lawyers in the area of what used to be Windham, Connecticut (now Scotland, CT).
By 1754 Huntington was admitted to the bar and moved to Norwich, Connecticut. In 1761 he would marry Martha Devotion the daughter of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion from Windham, CT. They would not have any natural-born children but would adopt and raise Samuel’s brother Joseph’s children, Samuel H. Huntington and Frances Huntington.
Huntington was a federalist who didn’t believe in slavery and fought for the rights of all citizens no matter their color. Having obtained the political bug in 1764, when he was appointed a selectman and sent to the lower house of the Connecticut Assembly. He continued in that position for ten years. In 1775 he was elected to the Governor’s council in the upper house and would stay in that position until 1784. During his time in the assembly, he gained notice by the crown and was appointed as the King’s attorney for Connecticut from 1768 until 1773 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court. [side note: the supreme court during that time was actually considered as the supreme court of errors. During that time the king decided it was time to teach the colonists a lesson and created what was known as the Coercive Acts. The Coercive Acts described a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774, in response to the Boston Tea Party, as a way to punish Massachusetts as a warning to other colonies.] It was during discussions of the Coercive Acts being implemented that Huntington became outspoken about how unlawful they were and as a result, in October 1775 he was asked to be one of the delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing Connecticut.
Samuel Huntington is one of the forgotten Signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was very involved in the shaping of our country from behind the scenes and very much involved with local politics in Connecticut when he became Governor. If you venture a visit to Connecticut, go visit Scotland, Connecticut and see where Samuel Huntington grew up and lived, his childhood home is still standing and is a National Historic Landmark. Should you visit Norwich, Connecticut you can visit his home where he and his wife Martha lived while he was an attorney in that area until his death. His grave is located in nearby Old Norwich Town Cemetery which is actually located behind the mansion house he lived in until his death.
Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist, business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.
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