John Milton Niles
| John Milton Niles | |
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United States Senator Connecticut |
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In office March 4, 1843 – March 4, 1849 |
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| President | Martin Van Buren |
| Preceded by | Perry Smith |
| Succeeded by | Truman Smith |
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In office December 21, 1835 – March 4, 1839 |
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| Preceded by | Nathan Smith |
| Succeeded by | Thaddeus Betts |
| 9th United States Postmaster General | |
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In office May 19, 1840 – March 4, 1841 |
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| Preceded by | Amos Kendall |
| Succeeded by | Francis Granger |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
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In office 1826 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 20, 1787 Windsor, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 1856 (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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