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Alexander Wolcott Supreme Court nomination
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Alexander Wolcott Supreme Court nomination
On February 4, 1811, Alexander Wolcott was nominated by U.S. President James Madison to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Wolcott's nomination was met with broad criticism, due to his lack of qualifying legal experience, as well as his highly partisan background, and his enforcement of the Embargo Act of 1807 and Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 as a customs collector. The nomination faced an unprecedented review by a select committee, and was considered for an unprecedentedly-lengthy period of nine days before being voted on by the Senate. Despite Madison's Democratic–Republican Party holding a supermajority in the Senate, the nomination was overwhelmingly defeated in a 9–24 vote on confirmation.
Wolcott's nomination was the second of three unsuccessful attempts by Madison to fill the vacancy left by the death of Associate Justice William Cushing. Levi Lincoln Jr. had earlier declined to accept the judgeship, after having been confirmed unanimously by the Senate. After Wolcott's defeat, Madison nominated John Quincy Adams, whose nomination was unanimously confirmed. Like Lincoln, Adams also declined to accept the judgeship. Madison succeeded on his fourth attempt to fill the seat, appointing Joseph Story.
In the early decades of the Supreme Court of the United States, nominations were routinely quickly confirmed with brief (if any) deliberation, often being confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote. which was rejected due to concerns surrounding Rutledge's mental health and rumored alcohol abuse.
In September 1810, William Cushing (an incumbent associate justice of the United States Supreme Court) died, creating a vacancy on the court. Cushing had been staunchly aligned with Federalist ideology, and had been one of the inaugural justices appointed to the court by George Washington. President James Madison consulted closely with former president Thomas Jefferson about the prospects surrounding the vacancy, believing that the vacancy presented him an opportunity to appoint a challenge that would champion the republican ideology of their Democratic-Republican Party and act as a counterweight to Chief Justice John Marshall. In the past, several judges that Jefferson and Adams had appointed, who had entered the court aligned with their ideals, as members of the court were persuaded by Marshall to adopt an ideology more aligned with him. Thus, Madison and Jefferson were keen on finding and appointing a judge who would be independent-thinking and strongly aligned with Democratic-Republicanism.
Madison and Jefferson agreed that their first-choice to fill the vacancy would be Massachusetts-based lawyer Levi Lincoln Sr. Lincoln was both well established as a Democratic-Republican and respected as a lawyer. Lincoln had sent word to Madison that he would not want to be appointed to the court. However, Madison had so wanted him, that he decided to nominate him despite these wishes in hopes that he might relent and change his disposition towards accepting an appointment. On January 2, 1811, Madison nominated Lincoln to fill the seat. He was confirmed the following by a voice vote of the United States Senate. After his confirmation, Lincoln declined to accept the seat. He cited his elderliness (62 years) and poor eyesights as reasons he could not accept. Only one previous nomination had been rejected by a vote of the Senate: John Rutledge's nomination in 1795 by George Washington's to be Chief Justice.
Wolcott, a Connecticut-based customs collector, having been appointed a collector at Middletown, Connecticut by Jefferson in 1802. Prior to this, he had served in the Connecticut General Assembly from 1796 through 1801. He was a staunch Democratic–Republican, and was considered a political boss and the leader of the party in his state. He had also been consulted by the Jefferson administration after the 1800 presidential election about nominations.
While he was a graduate of the prestigious Yale College, and had both studied and practiced law, Wolcott lacked any remarkable ability or accomplishment in the field of law. He was best known for having, as customs collector, having strongly enforced the Embargo Act of 1807. He also strongly enforced the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809, both of which were particular unpopular with northern merchants.
On February 4, Madison nominated Alexander Wolcott to the seat. He was selected as nominee chiefly due to his deep partisan allegiance, as he lacked any remarkable ability or accomplishment in a field of law.
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Alexander Wolcott Supreme Court nomination
On February 4, 1811, Alexander Wolcott was nominated by U.S. President James Madison to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Wolcott's nomination was met with broad criticism, due to his lack of qualifying legal experience, as well as his highly partisan background, and his enforcement of the Embargo Act of 1807 and Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 as a customs collector. The nomination faced an unprecedented review by a select committee, and was considered for an unprecedentedly-lengthy period of nine days before being voted on by the Senate. Despite Madison's Democratic–Republican Party holding a supermajority in the Senate, the nomination was overwhelmingly defeated in a 9–24 vote on confirmation.
Wolcott's nomination was the second of three unsuccessful attempts by Madison to fill the vacancy left by the death of Associate Justice William Cushing. Levi Lincoln Jr. had earlier declined to accept the judgeship, after having been confirmed unanimously by the Senate. After Wolcott's defeat, Madison nominated John Quincy Adams, whose nomination was unanimously confirmed. Like Lincoln, Adams also declined to accept the judgeship. Madison succeeded on his fourth attempt to fill the seat, appointing Joseph Story.
In the early decades of the Supreme Court of the United States, nominations were routinely quickly confirmed with brief (if any) deliberation, often being confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote. which was rejected due to concerns surrounding Rutledge's mental health and rumored alcohol abuse.
In September 1810, William Cushing (an incumbent associate justice of the United States Supreme Court) died, creating a vacancy on the court. Cushing had been staunchly aligned with Federalist ideology, and had been one of the inaugural justices appointed to the court by George Washington. President James Madison consulted closely with former president Thomas Jefferson about the prospects surrounding the vacancy, believing that the vacancy presented him an opportunity to appoint a challenge that would champion the republican ideology of their Democratic-Republican Party and act as a counterweight to Chief Justice John Marshall. In the past, several judges that Jefferson and Adams had appointed, who had entered the court aligned with their ideals, as members of the court were persuaded by Marshall to adopt an ideology more aligned with him. Thus, Madison and Jefferson were keen on finding and appointing a judge who would be independent-thinking and strongly aligned with Democratic-Republicanism.
Madison and Jefferson agreed that their first-choice to fill the vacancy would be Massachusetts-based lawyer Levi Lincoln Sr. Lincoln was both well established as a Democratic-Republican and respected as a lawyer. Lincoln had sent word to Madison that he would not want to be appointed to the court. However, Madison had so wanted him, that he decided to nominate him despite these wishes in hopes that he might relent and change his disposition towards accepting an appointment. On January 2, 1811, Madison nominated Lincoln to fill the seat. He was confirmed the following by a voice vote of the United States Senate. After his confirmation, Lincoln declined to accept the seat. He cited his elderliness (62 years) and poor eyesights as reasons he could not accept. Only one previous nomination had been rejected by a vote of the Senate: John Rutledge's nomination in 1795 by George Washington's to be Chief Justice.
Wolcott, a Connecticut-based customs collector, having been appointed a collector at Middletown, Connecticut by Jefferson in 1802. Prior to this, he had served in the Connecticut General Assembly from 1796 through 1801. He was a staunch Democratic–Republican, and was considered a political boss and the leader of the party in his state. He had also been consulted by the Jefferson administration after the 1800 presidential election about nominations.
While he was a graduate of the prestigious Yale College, and had both studied and practiced law, Wolcott lacked any remarkable ability or accomplishment in the field of law. He was best known for having, as customs collector, having strongly enforced the Embargo Act of 1807. He also strongly enforced the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809, both of which were particular unpopular with northern merchants.
On February 4, Madison nominated Alexander Wolcott to the seat. He was selected as nominee chiefly due to his deep partisan allegiance, as he lacked any remarkable ability or accomplishment in a field of law.