Editing Jacob Collamer (section)

{{short description|American lawyer and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Jacob Collamer
|image        = JCollamer2.jpg
|jr/sr        = United States Senator
|state        = [[Vermont]]
|term_start   = March 4, 1855
|term_end     = November 9, 1865
|predecessor  = [[Lawrence Brainerd]]
|successor    = [[Luke P. Poland]]
|office1      = Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court
|term_start1  = 1850
|term_end1    = 1854
|predecessor1 = Seat established
|successor1   = [[Abel Underwood]]
|office2      = 13th [[United States Postmaster General]]
|president2   = [[Zachary Taylor]]<br>[[Millard Fillmore]]
|term_start2  = March 8, 1849
|term_end2    = July 22, 1850
|predecessor2 = [[Cave Johnson]]
|successor2   = [[Nathan K. Hall]]
|state3       = [[Vermont]]
|district3    = {{ushr|VT|2|2nd}}
|term_start3  = March 4, 1843
|term_end3    = March 3, 1849
|predecessor3 = [[William Slade (politician)|William Slade]]
|successor3   = [[William Hebard]]
|office4      = [[List of justices of the Vermont Supreme Court|Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court]]
|term_start4  = 1833
|term_end4    = 1842
|predecessor4 = [[Nicholas Baylies]]
|successor4   = [[William Hebard]]
|office5      = [[State's Attorney]] of [[Windsor County, Vermont|Windsor County]]
|term_start5  = 1820
|term_end5    = 1824
|predecessor5 = [[Asa Aikens]]
|successor5   = Isaac Cushman
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1791|1|8}}
|birth_place  = [[Troy, New York]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{death date and age|1865|11|9|1791|1|8}}
|death_place  = [[Woodstock, Vermont]], U.S.
|party        = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] {{small|(Before 1854)}}<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] {{small|(1854–1865)}}
|spouse       = Mary Stone
|children     = 7
|education    = [[University of Vermont]] {{small|([[Master of Arts|AM]])}}
|allegiance   = United States
|branch       = [[Vermont Army National Guard|Vermont Militia]]
|serviceyears = 1812–1815
|rank         = [[First lieutenant#U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force|First Lieutenant]]
|unit         = 4th Regiment, Vermont Detached Militia Brigade<br/>2nd Brigade, 4th Division
|battles      = [[War of 1812]]
}}
'''Jacob Collamer''' (January 8, 1791 &ndash; November 9, 1865) was an [[Americans|American]] politician from [[Vermont]]. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as [[US Postmaster General|Postmaster General]] in the cabinet of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Zachary Taylor]], and as a U.S. Senator.

Born in [[Troy, New York]], and raised in [[Burlington, Vermont]], Collamer graduated from the [[University of Vermont]], studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1813. After service in the militia during the [[War of 1812]], he became active as an attorney, first in [[Royalton, Vermont|Royalton]], and then in [[Woodstock, Vermont|Woodstock]].  Highly regarded in the legal profession, he became a respected prosecutor, legislator, and judge.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 1842, Collamer became a prominent [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] leader and advocate of the anti-slavery cause.  President Taylor selected Collamer to serve as Postmaster General following [[1848 United States presidential election|the 1848 presidential election]]. Collamer served until shortly after Taylor's death when he resigned to allow Taylor's successor, [[Millard Fillmore]], to name his own appointee.

Collamer was elected to the Senate as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] in 1855, shortly after the formation of the new party.  He became a respected voice against slavery and a prominent supporter of the [[Lincoln administration]] during the [[American Civil War]]. An advocate of more stringent postwar [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]] measures than those that were favored by Lincoln and his successor, [[Andrew Johnson]], Collamer advocated congressional control of the Reconstruction process.  He died in Woodstock and was buried at River Street Cemetery in Woodstock.