Clan William: Senator James Rood Doolittle

Senator James Rood Doolittle, who served as Senator to Wisconsin, was arguably, Abraham Lincoln's best friend. Senator Doolittle's line from William Munson is as follows:

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson >  Martha Munson > Reuben Doolittle > Reuben Doolittle > James Rood Doolittle

Doolittle was born on January 15, 1815 in Hampton, New York, "on the shores of the Poultney River..."[1] to Reuben Doolittle, Jr. and Sarah Rood.

As a young child, the family moved to Wyoming County, NY. J. R. went to the Middlebury Academy prep school in Wyoming Co. and to Geneva (later Hobart) College, where he graduated top of his class in 1834. 

J. R. then moved to Rochester to study law. In 1837, the year he was admitted to the bar, he married Mary Lovina Cutting, who had also attended Middlebury Academy. They moved to Warsaw, New York in 1841. He had some interest in politics and from 1845-1849, he served as District Attorney of Warsaw County. He identified at the time as a Democrat. In 1847, he jumped into the anti-slavery movement as a Barnburner. In 1848, the Democrats ran General Lewis Cass, who believed states should have the option of allowing slavery. Democrats were split on this stance, and J. R. firmly stood on the side that opposed slavery and broke off into leadership of the Free Soil Party. As a leader in this faction, J. R. wrote what would become the Cornerstone Resolution:

"Resolved: That while the democracy of New York represented in this convention will faithfully adhere to all the compromises of the Consitution and maintain all the reserved rights of the states, they declare, since the crises arrived when that question must be met, their uncompromising hostility to the extensioin of slavery into territory now free, or which may be hereafter acquired by any action of the government of the United States."

Finally, he became one of the leaders of the new Republican Party. Back home, his family had grown to five children by the time he and his wife moved to Racine, Wisconsin in 1851. J. R. practiced law, became a judge, and in 1857, ran for his first of two terms as a US Senator as a moderate Republican. In 1852, his final child, Sallie, would be born. 

During his terms in office, he became a favorite advisor of many.  He helped unify the young party - his speaking powers were strong and persuasive. J. R. made an excellent nominating speech on behalf of  Abraham Lincoln at the Republican National Convention. When Abraham Lincoln took office in 1861, J. R. became not only a trusted advisor, but according to Leonard Swett, advisor to Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln would say of him:

"During the years 1863 and 1864...often I saw Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Dolittle together, and often heard the president speak of him in his absence. The most cordian and friendly relations existed between them, and the president always spok of him in terms of warmest friendship and esteem." 

Once, while perusing a list of senators who would hopefully support Lincoln's re-nomination, Swett asked the president: "You don't consider all these your friends?" Replied Lincoln, "No...when you speak of friendship, I sometimes thought Doolittle was the only real friend I had here." James was frequently invited to breakfast with Lincoln, famouly riding his warhourse, Chacamauga, to the White House early in the morning."

Upon Lincoln's assasination, the president became Andrew Johnson. Johnson won the next election, but he would face many challenges.  J. R. supported Johnson's opposition to "radical reconstruction." J. R. was working in direct opposition to the instructions he received from the Wisconsin legislature and he was censured by his constituents. The legislature than passed a resolution directing J. R. to resign. It was supported by the then governor, Governor Fairchild. Doolittle refused. At the end of the day, J. R. was not going to be re-elected and his days in politics would be, for all intents and purposes, over. J. R. switched back to the Democratic Party after a brief foray with the new political party formed on the basis of Johnson's reconstruction model.

J. R.  then went to Chicago and started up his law practice. He continued to maintain his residence in Racine, but began teaching law at the Old University of Chicago, serving as acting president for one year, and remained on the Board of Trustees until his death. In 1884-1885 he served as president of the Chicago Board of Education. 

He died 27 Jul 1897 in Providence County, Rhode Island. 

The story of James Rood Doolittle is far more complex and interesting than can be addressed in a short introductory blog post and his impact was great. I hope that if you love history as much as I do, you take some time to learn more.

[1] https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/05/north-country-abolitionist-james-rood-doolittle.html

[2] https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS7121

[3] https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40193846.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A29994e1078884e9453d23f35113198f0&ab_segments=&origin=

[4] https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS7121

[5] https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1261&context=fvw-pamphlets