# Calvin C. Chaffee

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Calvin_C._Chaffee
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Calvin_C._Chaffee.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_C._Chaffee
> Source revision: 1349598534
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American politician (1811–1896)

Calvin C. Chaffee Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th district In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859 Preceded by Edward Dickinson Succeeded by Charles Delano Personal details Born (1811-08-28)August 28, 1811 Saratoga Springs, New York Died August 8, 1896(1896-08-08) (aged 84) Springfield, Massachusetts Party Know Nothing Republican Spouse(s) Clara Nourse Eliza Irene Sanford Children Emma Lovetta Wilder (Chaffee) (daughter) Clemens Clifford Chaffee (son) Henrietta Sanford King (Emerson) (stepdaughter) Parent(s) Calvin Chaffee Elizabeth Hall Alma mater Middlebury College Occupation Physician

**Calvin Clifford Chaffee** (August 28, 1811 – August 8, 1896) was an American medical doctor and politician. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery.

## Life and work

Born in [Saratoga Springs, New York](/source/Saratoga_Springs%2C_New_York), Chaffee graduated from the medical school of [Middlebury College](/source/Middlebury_College), [Middlebury, Vermont](/source/Middlebury%2C_Vermont), in 1835. He settled in [Springfield, Massachusetts](/source/Springfield%2C_Massachusetts), where he began his medical practice.

In 1854, he was elected on the [American Party](/source/Know_Nothing) ticket to the [Thirty-fourth Congress](/source/Thirty-fourth_United_States_Congress) as part of the [Know Nothing](/source/Know-Nothing) party sweep of the Massachusetts congressional delegation that year. An abolitionist who received an honorary degree from Amherst in the same ceremony as [Charles Sumner](/source/Charles_Sumner), he became a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) and was reelected to Congress as such in 1856.

He was married to Clara Nourse (1813 – 1848) until her death in 1848.[1] They had two children: a daughter, Emma Lovetta Wilder (Chaffee) (1838 – 1910), and a son, Clemens Clifford Chaffee (1841 – 1867).

In 1850, Chaffee married Eliza Irene Emerson (née Sanford) (1815 – 1903). Irene Emerson was the widow of Dr. John Emerson, the owner of the slave [Dred Scott](/source/Dred_Scott). She had a daughter, Henrietta Sanford King (Emerson) (1843 – 1919), from her first marriage. There is speculation [2] that Chaffee advanced the [*Dred Scott*](/source/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford) case as a test for slavery. However, contemporary reports have him discover from the *Springfield Argus* that his new wife owned the most famous slave in the world in February 1857, only a month before the [Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States) handed down the infamous [*Dred Scott*](/source/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford) decision. Criticized nationwide for apparent hypocrisy, Chaffee immediately arranged for the return of Scott to his original owners, the Blow family, for emancipation.

Because of negative publicity from the Scott case, Chaffee did not seek reelection in 1858 and became Librarian of the [House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from 1860-1862. He then practiced medicine in Washington, D.C., until 1876, when he returned to Springfield. He died there in 1896 at age 84.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Clara Nourse 1813-1848 - Ancestry®"](https://www.ancestry.com.au/genealogy/records/clara-nourse-24-2r3hl7). *www.ancestry.com.au*. Retrieved 2020-06-01.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Blaustein, pp 147

## Bibliography

- Albert P. Blaustein, Robert L. Zangrando (1991). [*Civil Rights and African Americans: A Documentary History*](https://archive.org/details/civilrightsafric00blau). Evanston, IL: [Northwestern University Press](/source/Northwestern_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780810109209](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780810109209). 0810109204.

## External links

- United States Congress. ["Calvin C. Chaffee (id: C000270)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000270). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

- [Biography of Dred Scott](http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/africanamerican/scott/scott.asp) by Christyn Elley, Missouri State Archives

- [Calvin C. Chaffee](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7481822) at [Find a Grave](/source/Find_a_Grave)

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Edward Dickinson Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district March 4, 1855–March 3, 1859 Succeeded by Charles Delano

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

v t e United States representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F. Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J. Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham N. Appleton Gorham A. Lawrence Fletcher A. Lawrence Winthrop N. Appleton Winthrop S. Eliot W. Appleton Scudder T. D. Eliot Hall T. D. Eliot Buffington Crapo R. Davis Randall Wright G. Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W. Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W. Lyman Shepard J. Crowninshield Story Pickman W. Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B. Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D. King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffington O. Ames Harris Long E. Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin S. Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing A. Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C. Adams Thomas A. Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B. Dean Field Ranney L. Morse J. Andrew Walker J. R. Thayer R. Hoar C. Washburn J. A. Thayer Wilder Paige F. Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N. Tsongas Trahan 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn G. Thatcher Wadsworth Foster L. Lincoln Sr. Hastings Varnum W. Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E. Everett Sa. Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins A. Rice Hooper Frost J. Abbott L. Morse Collins O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P. Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III Auchincloss 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L. Williams T. Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley J. Davis L. Lincoln Jr. Hudson C. Allen W. Appleton Burlingame W. Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L. Morse Hayden Banks Sh. Hoar Stevens Knox B. Ames J. Rogers E. Rogers B. Morse Cronin P. Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N. Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district G. Thatcher Leonard J. Reed Sr. J. Smith Taggart S. Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G. Davis Upham T. Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A.P. Andrew G. Bates W. Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H. Dwight S. Allen Grennell Briggs J. Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E. Hoar Tarbox Butler W. Russell Stone Cogswell W. Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W. Connery L. Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano Pressley 8th district Grout G. Thatcher F. Ames Otis Eustis L. Williams Green Gardner Green J. Reed Jr. Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J. Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G. Hoar J. M. S. Williams Warren Claflin Candler W Russell C. H. Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H. Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J. Dean Wheaton J. Reed Jr. Folger J. Reed Jr. H. Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H. Williams Hale Fowler Little De Witt E. Thayer Bailey A. Walker W. Washburn Crocker G. Hoar W. Rice T. Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G. Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce R. Russell Luce T. H. Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J. Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey H. A. S. Dearborn W. Baylies Borden H. Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross W. Rice J. E. Russell J. Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A. Bigelow Brigham B. Adams J. Russell Hobart J. Richardson J. Adams J. Reed Jr. Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district H. Dearborn I. Parker Lee S. Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L. Bigelow Baylies Hodges J. Adams Robinson F. Rockwell Crosby E. Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis J. Reed Jr. Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G. Thatcher Cutts C. King J. Holmes Lovering E. Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S. Thatcher Cook Tallman S. Davis Brown Orr Hill Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F. Carr Wood J. Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson T. Rice J. Parker 19th district J. Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris E. Lincoln At-large Cobb

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Calvin C. Chaffee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_C._Chaffee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_C._Chaffee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.