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John Milton Niles

John Milton Niles
JohnMiltonNiles.jpg
United States Senator
Connecticut
In office
March 4, 1843 – March 4, 1849
President Martin Van Buren
Preceded by Perry Smith
Succeeded by Truman Smith
In office
December 21, 1835 – March 4, 1839
Preceded by Nathan Smith
Succeeded by Thaddeus Betts
9th United States Postmaster General
In office
May 19, 1840 – March 4, 1841
Preceded by Amos Kendall
Succeeded by Francis Granger
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
In office
1826
Personal details
Born (1787-08-20)August 20, 1787
Windsor, Connecticut, U.S.
Died May 31, 1856(1856-05-31) (aged 68)
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Political party Democratic-Republican
Democratic
Free Soil
Republican
Spouse(s) Sarah Robinson Niles (1824, her death)
Jane Pratt Niles
Profession Lawyer, editor, writer, politician

John Milton Niles (August 20, 1787 – May 31, 1856) was a lawyer, editor, author and politician from Connecticut, serving in the United States Senate and as United States Postmaster General 1840 to 1841.

Born in Windsor, Connecticut, Niles received a common school education and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1817 and practiced in Hartford, Connecticut. There, he also established a newspaper, the "Hartford Weekly Times", in 1817, where he worked as an editor as well as a contributor for over thirty years. He published two other papers, the Gazatteer of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and The Independent Whig. He married Sarah Robinson on June 17, 1824. After her death on November 23, 1824, he married Jane Pratt on November 26, 1845.

Niles became active in Democratic Party politics and a supporter of states-rights doctrines. In 1820 he was appointed an associate judge in the Hartford County Court, but didn't start until 1821. He served until 1826 when he was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives. Unsuccessful for reelection, he continued practing law. In 1829 he was appointed Postmaster of Hartford, serving this position until 1836. He failed to be elected to an at-large Connecticut Representative seat.

After the demise of Whig senator Nathan Smith, Niles was elected as a class one senator to fill his seat, serving from 1835 to 1839. There, he served as chairman of the Committee on Manufactures in the 24th and 25th congresses. He was not a candidate for reelection. In 1839 and in 1840 he was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Governor of Connecticut, losing to William W. Ellsworth.


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