Matthew H. Carpenter
| Matthew Hale Carpenter | |
|---|---|
 |
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| President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate | |
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In office March 12, 1873 – January 4, 1875 |
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| Preceded by | Henry B. Anthony |
| Succeeded by | Henry B. Anthony |
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United States Senator from Wisconsin |
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In office March 4, 1879 – February 24, 1881 |
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| Preceded by | Timothy O. Howe |
| Succeeded by | Angus Cameron |
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In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
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| Preceded by | James R. Doolittle |
| Succeeded by | Angus Cameron |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 22, 1824 Moretown, Vermont |
| Died | February 24, 1881 (aged 56) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Dillingham Carpenter (m. 1855) |
| Relations |
Paul Dillingham (father in law) William P. Dillingham (brother in law) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Studied law with Paul Dillingham and Rufus Choate |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy (attended) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Matthew Hale Carpenter (born Decatur Merritt Hammond Carpenter; December 22, 1824 – February 24, 1881) was an American attorney and U.S. Senator representing the state of Wisconsin. He served in the Senate from 1869 to 1875 and again from 1879 to 1881. Recognized as an authority on constitutional law, he made some of the most important legal arguments of 19th-century America. Carpenter presented cases before the U. S. Supreme Court involving such matters as states' rights and regulation of corporations.
Originally a Democrat, he evolved into a Republican during the Civil War, and helped perpetuate the Wisconsin party's political machinery. His sustained support for President Ulysses S. Grant's administration despite allegations of corruption lost him the backing of reformers, and his legal arguments in favor of Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden in the disputed presidential election of 1876 outraged many Republicans. A gifted orator, he was dubbed "the Webster of the West."
Carpenter was born in Moretown, Vermont in the Mad River Valley of the Green Mountain range. His pioneering forebears were English, and came to America soon after the Pilgrims. His grandfather Cephas Carpenter (1770–1860) helped establish Moretown, owned a store, served as a colonel in the militia and took part in the War of 1812. Cephas Carpenter served in local office including justice of the peace, and though not a member of the bar, possessed wisdom and eloquence that led to a career as an advocate in the local courts.
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