Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811

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Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was a Founding Father of the United States, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and a signatory to the Continental Association and United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland. He was impeached by the House of Representatives on grounds of letting his partisan leanings affect his court decisions but was acquitted by the Senate and remained in office.

Born near Princess Anne, Maryland, Chase established a legal practice in Annapolis, Maryland. He served in the Maryland General Assembly for several years and favored independence during the American Revolution. He won election to the Continental Congress before serving on the Baltimore District Criminal Court and the Maryland General Court. In 1796, President George Washington appointed Chase to the United States Supreme Court.

After the 1800 elections, President Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans sought to weaken Federalist influence on the federal courts. Chase's actions on the court had been accused of demonstrating bias, and Jefferson believed that Chase should be removed from office, a process that required a vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House passed eight articles of impeachment, all centering on Chase's alleged political bias. The Senate voted to acquit Chase on all counts, and Chase served on the Supreme Court until his death in 1811. Some historians have argued that Chase's acquittal set an important precedent regarding the independence of the federal judiciary.

Chase died of a heart attack in Baltimore and was interred in what is now Baltimore's Old Saint Paul's Cemetery.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Autograph of Samuel Chase [manuscript], n.d. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Library. Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection. 1668-1983. American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Charge book, ca. 1802-1806. Maryland historical society
referencedIn Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. Papers, 1769-1792. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
referencedIn Longfellow, Stephen, 1776-1849. Stephen Longfellow correspondence, 1801-1816. Maine Historical Society Library
referencedIn Lee, Charles, 1758-1815. Autographs and signed legal documents of noted Americans [manuscript], 1790-1824. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf General Records of the Department of State. 1763 - 2002. Printing Plates of Thomas Jefferson's Plan for the Government of the Western Territory. 1789 - 1944. Printing Plates of Thomas Jefferson's Plan for the Government of the Western Territory National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Samuel Chase papers, 1776-1805. Library of Congress
creatorOf Chase family. Chase family papers, ca. 1738-1899 (bulk ca. 1738-1855). Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
creatorOf General Records of the Department of State. 1763 - 2002. Printing Plates of Thomas Jefferson's Plan for the Government of the Western Territory National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Papers, 1787-1816. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn James McHenry Papers, 1775-1862, (bulk 1775-1816) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn William Plumer Papers, 1774-1845, (bulk 1802-1825) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Gwathmey collection, 1708-1852 University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Richard Henry Lee Papers, 1763-1823 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Letters, 1776-1807. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Autograph letter signed : to Governor Livingston, 1782 June 25. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Letter, 1804 November 8, Baltimore, Maryland, to Roger Griswold. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Letter signed : to Peyton Randolph, 1774 Aug. 10. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1777 Aug. 26, Philadelphia, Pa., to Thomas Johnson. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Samuel Chase papers [microform] 1766-1804. Maryland Historical Society Library
referencedIn Signers collection, 1770-1826. Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Houghton Library printed book provenance file, A-D Houghton Library
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ADS, 1796 April 21, [s.l.], to Samuel Meredith. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Autograph letter signed : Annapolis, 1785 Sept. 2 (or 11). Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Letter to William Smallwood, 1788 September 6. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Autograph File, C Houghton Library
referencedIn Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Papers, 1787-1816. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Iredell, James, 1751-1799. Papers of James Iredell, Sr., and James Iredell, Jr., 1724-1890. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS : Baltimore, Md., to John Francis Mercer, Annapolis, Md, 1803 Nov. 7. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Autograph File, M Houghton Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1778 October 16, Annapolis, to Stephen West. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Forensic Club (Annapolis, Md.). Rules and Minutes of the Forensic Club, 1759, Oct. 26 - 1767, Mar. 2. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Brockenbrough, William, fl. 1763,. Papers of the Carter and Wellford family of Sabine Hall, 1650 (1736-1874) 1936. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Martin, Luther, 1744-1826. Autograph letter signed : [n.p.], to Samuel Chase, 1804?. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Samuel Chase papers, 1781-1810 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. Autograph letter signed : Annapolis, to W. Wheeler, 1783 Mar. 4. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848. John Quincy Adams collection, 1827 Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Ames, Fisher, 1758-1808. Letter to Col. Nathaniel Dwight [manuscript] 1805 Jan. 10. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Pope-Humphrey family : papers, 1807-1938. The Filson Historical Society
referencedIn Logan, Robert Restalrig,. Collection, 1671-1863. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn John Dickinson papers, Bulk, 1753-1808, 1676-1885 Library company of Philadelphia
referencedIn Pitkin, Timothy, 1766-1847. Papers of Timothy Pitkin, 1681-1847 (bulk 1800-1830). Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1796 December 4, Baltimore, to unknown. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Benjamin Franklin Papers Part 7 -- Letters to Franklin, 1783 January-November American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Randolph, John, 1773-1833. John Randolph of Roanoke letters [manuscript] 1804-19. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Monroe, James, 1758-1831. Bank stock correspondence, 1783-1805 1783-1787, 1801-1805. Maryland State Archives
referencedIn Benjamin Franklin Papers Part 8 -- Letters to Franklin, 1783 December-1786 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1777 Aug. 12, Philadelphia, Pa., to Thomas Johnson. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn De Saussure, Henry William, 1763-1839. Henry William DeSaussure papers, 1795-1837. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Letters and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1750-1933. Houghton Library
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associatedWith Adams, John, 1735-1826. person
associatedWith Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848. person
associatedWith Agassiz, Louis, 1807-1873 person
associatedWith Ames, Fisher, 1758-1808. person
associatedWith Bache, Benjamin Franklin, 1769-1798. person
associatedWith Bank of the United States (1791-1811), corporateBody
associatedWith Banks, Joseph, Sir, 1743-1820 person
memberOf Chase family. family
parentOf Chase, Samuel, Jr. person
associatedWith Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839 person
associatedWith Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899 person
associatedWith Cuvier, Georges, Baron, 1769-1832 person
associatedWith Darlington, William, 1782-1863 person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith De Saussure, Henry William, 1763-1839. person
associatedWith Dickinson, John, 1732-1808 person
associatedWith Edison, Thomas A., (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931 person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Everett, Edward, 1794-1865 person
associatedWith Fitch, John person
memberOf Forensic Club (Annapolis, Md.) corporateBody
associatedWith Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 person
associatedWith Genth, F. A., (Frederick Augustus), 1820-1893 person
associatedWith Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 person
associatedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 person
associatedWith Griswold, Roger, 1762-1812. person
associatedWith Harding, Warren G. person
associatedWith Harris, David. person
associatedWith Houghton Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Hubbard, John, collector. person
associatedWith Iredell, James, 1751-1799. person
associatedWith Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. person
associatedWith Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. person
associatedWith Kountze, De Lancey, d. 1946, person
associatedWith Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794 person
associatedWith Livingston, William, 1723-1790, person
associatedWith Logan, Robert Restalrig, person
associatedWith Longfellow, Stephen, 1776-1849. person
associatedWith Martin, Luther, 1744-1826. person
associatedWith Maryland. Council of Safety, corporateBody
correspondedWith McHenry, James, 1753-1816. person
associatedWith Mercer, John Francis, 1759-1821. person
associatedWith Meredith, Samuel, 1741-1817. person
associatedWith Newcomb, Simon person
associatedWith Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642-1727 person
associatedWith Pitkin, Timothy, 1766-1847. person
associatedWith Plumer, William, 1759-1850. person
associatedWith Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 1779-1851 person
associatedWith Randolph, John, 1773-1833. person
associatedWith Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796 person
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813 person
associatedWith Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864 person
associatedWith Seybert, Adam, 1773-1825 person
associatedWith Smallwood, William, 1732-1792, person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Sterett, Samuel. person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry person
correspondedWith Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. person
associatedWith Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 person
associatedWith Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824 person
associatedWith United States. Circuit Court (3rd Circuit) corporateBody
memberOf United States. Supreme Court corporateBody
associatedWith Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865 person
associatedWith Wayne, Anthony person
associatedWith West, Stephen. person
associatedWith Wheeler, W., person
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Annapolis MD US
Baltimore MD US
District of Columbia DC US
Somerset County MD US
Subject
Business record
Civil rights
Courts
Federal government
Freedom of the press
Grand juries
Impeachments
Instructions to juries
Judges
Press
Representative government and representation
Rule of law
Separation of powers
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Judges
Jurists
Statesmen
Activity

Person

Birth 1741-04-17

Death 1811-06-19

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

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