This Day In Founding Fathers History – 17 April 2013

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This Day In Founding Fathers History – 17 April 2013

On this day (or thereabouts) in 1629, the first commercial fishing fleet began operation in Medford, Massachusetts. ₁

In 1861 on this day, Virginia seceded from the Union. The Virginia Convention with its 152 delegates was assembled in February to determine whether Virginia would secede. On 16 April, the delegates met and the next day passed the Ordinance Secession. The ordinance was not ratified by the citizens of Virginia for another month. A preliminary vote in February supported remaining a state, but support for secession gained in mid-April as Lincoln called for troops, meaning Virginia would have to send 2,340 soldiers. This was the breaking point and Virginia voted to secede from the Union. ₂

One notable birthday on this day in 1741, that of Samuel Chase. Chase was born in Maryland, educated by his father, and studied law in Annapolis. Chase served in the General Assembly of Maryland and as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was sent to England as an agent for Maryland in 1783 and upon his return moved to Baltimore where he was a judge of the Baltimore criminal court and then judge of the general court for the state. In 1796, Chase was appointed by President Washington as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. Chase was impeached, being charged with malfeasance in office while on the Supreme Court for his conduct of two sedition trials. He was tried by the Senate and acquitted of all charges, resuming his seat on the bench, where he remained until his death in 1811. ₃

_{1 “Datapedia of the United States: American History in Numbers,” By George Thomas Kurian, Barbara Ann Chernow, Google Books, books.google.com
2 “Secession,” On This Day: Legislative Moments in Virginia History, www.vahistorical.org/onthisday/21361.htm
3 “Samuel Chase,” colonialhall.com/chase/chase5.php; “Chase, Samuel,” Biographical Directory of the  United States Congress, bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000334}

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