Lawrence Brainerd
| Lawrence Brainerd | |
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United States Senator from Vermont |
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In office October 14, 1854 – March 3, 1855 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel S. Phelps |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Collamer |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives | |
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In office 1834 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 16, 1794 East Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 1870 (aged 76) St. Albans, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig, Liberty, Free Soil |
| Spouse(s) |
Fidelia B. Gadcombe (m1819-d1852) |
| Profession |
Banker Railroad executive |
Fidelia B. Gadcombe
Lawrence Brainerd (March 16, 1794 – May 9, 1870) was a businessman, abolitionist and United States Senator from Vermont. He was the father of Ann Eliza Brainerd Smith and the father-in-law of Vermont Governor J. Gregory Smith and Vermont Lieutenant Governor F. Stewart Stranahan.
Born in East Hartford, Connecticut on March 16, 1794, he went to Troy, New York in 1803 to reside with an uncle. In 1808 his uncle and he moved to St. Albans, Vermont. Brainerd completed preparatory studies, taught school, was employed as a clerk in a mercantile establishment until 1816. He expanded his business interests to include stores, banking, shipping, and railroads, and became wealthy as a result.
In 1834 he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives as a Whig. His anti-slavery views caused him to become a member of the Liberty Party. He was the party's unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 1846, 1847, 1848, 1852, and 1854.
In 1854 he was a member of the Free Soil Party when he was chosen by the Vermont General Assembly to fill a United States Senate vacancy. The Governor had appointed Samuel S. Phelps to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William Upham. Phelps served until the Senate resolved that while the Governor could make an appointment while the state legislature was not in session, it fell to the legislature to make a selection once it convened. Brainerd was then chosen to succeed Phelps, and served from October 14, 1854 to March 3, 1855. He was not a candidate for election to a full term, and was subsequently nominated for Governor, which he declined.
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