Obadiah German
| Obadiah German | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the New York State Assembly | |
|
In office January 6, 1819 – June 30, 1819 |
|
| Preceded by | David Woods |
| Succeeded by | John C. Spencer |
| United States Senator from New York | |
|
In office March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1815 |
|
| Preceded by | Samuel L. Mitchill |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Sanford |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
|
In office 1798 1804-1805 1807-1809 1819 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 22, 1766 Amenia, New York |
| Died | September 24, 1842 (aged 76) Norwich, Chenango County, New York |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery, New Berlin, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party |
Democratic-Republican Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ann Lewis (d. 1829) Mary Ann Knight (d. 1861) |
Obadiah German (April 22, 1766 – September 24, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician.
He was born on April 22, 1766 in Amenia, New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1792, and commenced practice in Norwich. He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1798-99, from 1804 to 1805, from 1807 to 1809.
In 1809, he was elected a U.S. Senator from New York, and served from March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1815. German was known as a critic of the lack of military preparations made in advance of the War of 1812, and voted against the declaration of war. In 1812, German was one of the founding trustees of Hamilton College. He was First Judge of the Chenango County Court from 1814 to 1819. He was also a State militia officer, eventually becoming a major general.
Supporting DeWitt Clinton's Erie Canal project, German took part in planning and overseeing its construction after being appointed State Commissioner of Public Works in 1817. German returned to the Assembly in 1819 and, as a member of the Clintonian faction of the Democratic-Republican Party was chosen Speaker. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law. German became a Whig when that party was organized.
He died on September 24, 1842 in Norwich, New York. He was buried at the Riverside Cemetery in North Norwich, New York.
Obadiah German was married twice. He had five children with his first wife, Mary Ann Lewis, known as Ann, who died in 1829.
After the death of his first wife he married Mary Ann Knight, a woman much younger than he. They had three children, and by some accounts the marriage was not a happy one, with Mary Ann Knight and the children living in Syracuse while Obadiah German continued to reside in Norwich.
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