Salmon P. Chase

Salmon P. Chase
Born	Salmon Portland Chase 13 1, 1808
Birthplace	Cornish, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Unbulleted list
Known for	6th Chief Justice of the United States; 25th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; anti-slavery advocacy; co-founding the Republican Party
Education	Dartmouth College (BA)
Children	2
Awards	Template:Unbulleted list

Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist whose career spanned all three branches of the federal government, as well as the highest state-level office. He served as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States from 1864 until his death in 1873, as the 25th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1861 to 1864, as the 23rd Governor of Ohio from 1856 to 1860, and as a United States Senator from Ohio from 1849 to 1855 and briefly in 1861. Born in the small New Hampshire town of Cornish, Chase rose from modest origins to become one of the most consequential American statesmen of the nineteenth century. As a young lawyer in Cincinnati, he built a reputation as a tireless defender of fugitive slaves, earning the sobriquet "Attorney General of Fugitive Slaves." His opposition to slavery propelled him through a succession of political parties—from the Whigs to the Liberty Party, the Free Soil Party, and ultimately the Republican Party, which he helped to establish. As Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War, Chase oversaw the financing of the Union war effort and introduced the national banking system. As Chief Justice, he presided over the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Throughout his career, Chase harbored presidential ambitions that went unrealized, seeking nominations from both the Republican and Democratic parties on multiple occasions.

Early Life

Salmon Portland Chase was born on January 13, 1808, in Cornish, New Hampshire, to Ithamar Chase and Janet Ralston Chase. His father was a farmer and businessman who also held local political office. The Chase family had deep roots in New England; Salmon was a descendant of Aquila Chase, one of the early English settlers of the region. The family was of modest means, and Salmon's childhood was marked by both the rural character of the New Hampshire countryside and the intellectual aspirations that pervaded New England Puritan culture.

Chase's father died in 1817, when Salmon was nine years old, leaving the family in financial difficulty. Following his father's death, Chase was sent to live with his uncle, Philander Chase, who was the Episcopal Bishop of Ohio and later became the founder and first president of Kenyon College. Under his uncle's care, Chase received a classical education and was introduced to the religious and moral values that would shape his lifelong opposition to slavery. Life under Bishop Chase was rigorous and austere; the young Salmon was expected to contribute labor on his uncle's property while pursuing his studies. This period in Ohio exposed Chase to the Western frontier and to the social dynamics of a rapidly expanding region where questions of slavery and free labor were becoming increasingly contentious.

Chase's early years instilled in him a sense of moral purpose and ambition. Despite the hardships of his youth, he demonstrated academic aptitude and a determination to advance himself through education and professional achievement. These formative experiences—the loss of his father, his time under his uncle's stern tutelage, and his exposure to the social questions of the Ohio frontier—laid the groundwork for his later career as an anti-slavery lawyer and politician.

Education

Chase attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he graduated in 1826 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. At Dartmouth, Chase distinguished himself as a capable student and graduated near the top of his class at the age of eighteen. Following his graduation from Dartmouth, Chase moved to Washington, D.C., where he studied law under the mentorship of Attorney General William Wirt. Wirt, one of the most prominent lawyers in the country and the longest-serving Attorney General in American history, provided Chase with a rigorous legal education and introduced him to the political circles of the nation's capital. Chase was admitted to the bar in 1829 and subsequently moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to establish his legal practice.

Career

Early Legal Career and Anti-Slavery Advocacy

After settling in Cincinnati in 1830, Chase quickly established himself as a capable lawyer. Cincinnati's location on the Ohio River, directly across from the slave state of Kentucky, made it a focal point of the tensions surrounding slavery and the fugitive slave question. Chase became deeply involved in the anti-slavery movement and gained national prominence by defending fugitive slaves and those who aided them in court. He took on such cases frequently, often without compensation, which earned him the nickname "Attorney General of Fugitive Slaves."

Chase's legal arguments in fugitive slave cases were innovative and influential. He contended that slavery was a local institution that had no standing under federal law and that slaves who escaped to free states were entitled to their liberty. While his arguments did not always prevail in the courts of the time, they advanced the legal and intellectual framework of the anti-slavery movement and contributed to the growing sectional crisis over the institution of slavery.

Political Career: From the Whig Party to the Republican Party

Chase's anti-slavery convictions led him into politics. Initially a member of the Whig Party, he left the party in 1841, dissatisfied with its reluctance to take a firm stance against slavery. He became the leader of Ohio's Liberty Party, a small but dedicated anti-slavery political organization. In 1848, Chase played a central role in the formation of the Free Soil Party, a coalition of anti-slavery Democrats, Whigs, and Liberty Party members united in their opposition to the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Chase was instrumental in recruiting former President Martin Van Buren to serve as the Free Soil Party's presidential nominee in the 1848 election.

In 1849, Chase was elected to the United States Senate by the Ohio state legislature, taking office on March 4, 1849, and serving until March 3, 1855. In the Senate, Chase emerged as one of the most forceful voices against the expansion of slavery. He opposed the Compromise of 1850, which included a stricter Fugitive Slave Act, and vigorously opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, which opened the possibility of slavery in territories where it had previously been prohibited under the Missouri Compromise. Chase's opposition to the Kansas–Nebraska Act helped galvanize anti-slavery sentiment in the North and contributed directly to the collapse of the existing party system.

In the aftermath of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, Chase was one of the principal figures in the establishment of the Republican Party in 1854. The new party united former Whigs, Free Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats under a common banner opposing the extension of slavery into the territories. Chase's role in founding the Republican Party cemented his national stature as a leading anti-slavery politician.

Governor of Ohio

After leaving the Senate, Chase was elected as the 23rd Governor of Ohio in 1855, taking office on January 14, 1856. He served two terms, leaving office on January 9, 1860. As governor, Chase was the first Republican to hold the office in Ohio. He used the governorship to advance the anti-slavery cause, working to strengthen the state's personal liberty laws, which were designed to protect free Black residents and fugitive slaves from being seized under the federal Fugitive Slave Act. Chase's tenure as governor also saw improvements to the state's banking and financial systems, foreshadowing his later work as Secretary of the Treasury.

During his time as governor, Chase harbored presidential ambitions. He sought the Republican nomination for president in the 1860 presidential election, positioning himself as a candidate who could unite the party's anti-slavery factions. However, at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, the nomination went to Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, who was considered more moderate and more electable.

Secretary of the Treasury

Following Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election, the president-elect invited Chase to serve as Secretary of the Treasury, a position Chase accepted. He took office on March 7, 1861, just weeks before the outbreak of the Civil War. Chase briefly returned to the Senate in March 1861, holding the seat from March 4 to March 6 before resigning to join the Cabinet.

As Secretary of the Treasury, Chase faced the enormous challenge of financing the Union war effort. The federal government's revenues were insufficient to fund the massive military expenditures required by the war, and Chase oversaw a dramatic expansion of federal financial power. He implemented the first federal income tax and authorized the issuance of paper currency—"greenbacks"—to help pay for the war. Chase was also responsible for the establishment of the national banking system under the National Banking Acts of 1863 and 1864, which created a uniform national currency and a system of nationally chartered banks. These measures represented a fundamental transformation of American public finance and laid the foundation for the modern financial system.

Chase is also credited with placing the motto "In God We Trust" on United States coinage, responding to increased religious sentiment during the Civil War and public calls for a recognition of God on the nation's currency.

Despite his accomplishments, Chase's tenure at the Treasury was marked by friction with President Lincoln. Chase was more radical in his views on slavery and Reconstruction than Lincoln, and he maintained close ties with the Radical Republicans in Congress. Relations between the two men were further strained by Chase's persistent presidential ambitions. Chase tendered his resignation on multiple occasions, and Lincoln finally accepted it on June 30, 1864.

Presidential Ambitions

Chase's desire for the presidency was a recurring theme throughout his political career. He sought the Republican nomination in 1860, losing to Lincoln. He again sought the nomination in 1864, even while serving in Lincoln's Cabinet, though he ultimately withdrew from the contest. After his appointment as Chief Justice, Chase pursued the Democratic presidential nomination in 1868, attempting to position himself as a moderate candidate who could bridge the divide between Radical Reconstruction and reconciliation with the South. He failed to secure the nomination, which went to Horatio Seymour. In 1872, Chase sought the Liberal Republican nomination, but again fell short, with the nomination going to Horace Greeley. His repeated and unsuccessful bids for the presidency, even while serving on the Supreme Court, were a source of controversy and criticism, as many considered such political activity incompatible with the judicial office.

Chief Justice of the United States

Following the death of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney in October 1864, President Lincoln nominated Chase to fill the vacancy. Lincoln's decision was motivated in part by a desire to appease the Radical Republicans, who supported Chase, and in part by his confidence that Chase would uphold the administration's wartime measures and support the legal framework of emancipation. Chase was confirmed by the Senate on December 6, 1864, and served as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States from that date until his death on May 7, 1873.

As Chief Justice, Chase presided over a period of significant constitutional change. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution were ratified during his tenure, abolishing slavery, establishing equal protection under the law, and guaranteeing voting rights regardless of race. Chase's court was called upon to adjudicate numerous cases arising from the Civil War and Reconstruction, including questions about the constitutionality of military tribunals, loyalty oaths, and the Legal Tender Acts that Chase himself had championed as Secretary of the Treasury.

One of the most notable episodes of Chase's tenure as Chief Justice was his role in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Under the Constitution, the Chief Justice presides over the Senate trial in cases of presidential impeachment. Chase sought to conduct the proceedings in a fair and judicial manner, insisting on procedural rules that angered Radical Republicans who wished for a swift conviction. Johnson was ultimately acquitted by a single vote, and Chase's conduct during the trial was generally regarded as impartial, though it drew criticism from those who believed he was too lenient toward the president.

In the area of legal tender, Chase's court issued a notable ruling in Hepburn v. Griswold (1870), which declared the Legal Tender Act of 1862 unconstitutional as applied to debts contracted before its passage. This was a remarkable development, as Chase himself had been the architect of the Legal Tender Act during his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury. The decision was later effectively reversed in the Legal Tender Cases of 1871, after new appointments to the court shifted the majority.

Chase also wrote the opinion in Texas v. White (1869), a landmark case in which the court held that the Constitution did not permit states to unilaterally secede from the Union, affirming the indestructibility of the Union while also acknowledging that the federal government had the authority to establish Reconstruction governments in the former Confederate states.

Personal Life

Chase married three times, each marriage ending with the death of his wife. His first wife was Katherine Jane Garniss, whom he married in 1834; she died in 1835. He married Eliza Ann Smith in 1839; she died in 1845. His third wife was Sarah Bella Dunlop Ludlow, whom he married in 1846; she died in 1852. The repeated losses took a heavy emotional toll on Chase. Of his six children, only two daughters survived to adulthood: Catherine "Kate" Chase and Janet "Nettie" Chase.

Kate Chase Sprague became one of the most prominent social figures in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War era. She married William Sprague IV, a wealthy Rhode Island senator, and served as her father's political hostess and informal campaign manager during his various bids for the presidency.

Chase was a devout Episcopalian whose religious convictions informed his opposition to slavery and his moral outlook. He was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Chase died on May 7, 1873, in New York City, having suffered a stroke. He was 65 years old.

Recognition

Chase's contributions to American law, finance, and politics have been recognized in numerous ways. His likeness appeared on the $10,000 bill, the highest denomination of United States currency ever printed for public circulation. Chase chose his own image for the $1 bill during his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury, though it was later replaced.

Chase National Bank, which later became part of JPMorgan Chase & Co., was named in his honor, reflecting his lasting influence on American banking and finance.

Several institutions bear his name, including the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. In 2025, The Ohio State University's Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society launched its inaugural academic courses and received significant funding, including a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education and a $5 million grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, to support its mission of civic education. The center also announced 10 new courses and a minor in Civics, Law and Leadership for its spring 2026 semester.

Camp Chase, a Civil War military camp and prisoner-of-war facility in Columbus, Ohio, was named after Chase during his governorship. Counties in Kansas, Nebraska, and other states also bear his name, as do numerous streets and public buildings across the United States.

Legacy

Salmon P. Chase occupies a distinctive place in American history as one of the few individuals to have held constitutional office in all three branches of the federal government—as a senator in the legislative branch, as Secretary of the Treasury in the executive branch, and as Chief Justice in the judicial branch—in addition to serving as governor of a major state.

Chase's most enduring contributions lie in two areas: the anti-slavery movement and the transformation of American public finance. As a lawyer and politician, Chase was among the most prominent opponents of slavery in the decades before the Civil War. His legal arguments on behalf of fugitive slaves helped define the anti-slavery position in American jurisprudence, and his political activities—from the Liberty Party through the Free Soil Party to the founding of the Republican Party—were instrumental in building the political coalition that ultimately brought about the abolition of slavery.

As Secretary of the Treasury, Chase's innovations in public finance—including the national banking system, the greenback currency, and the federal income tax—transformed the fiscal capacity of the federal government and established structures that endured long after the Civil War. His placement of "In God We Trust" on American coinage created a tradition that continues to the present day.

As Chief Justice, Chase guided the Supreme Court through the turbulent Reconstruction era, presiding over landmark cases that defined the constitutional relationship between the federal government and the states in the aftermath of the Civil War. His opinion in Texas v. White remains a foundational statement on the nature of the Union and the limits of state sovereignty.

Chase's legacy is not without complexity. His persistent presidential ambitions, pursued even from the bench of the Supreme Court, drew criticism from contemporaries and have invited scrutiny from historians. His reversal on the constitutionality of legal tender—having championed paper currency as Treasury Secretary and then voting to strike it down as Chief Justice—has been characterized as either a principled reassessment or an act of political inconsistency.

Nevertheless, Chase is recognized as a figure of substantial historical importance whose career intersected with and shaped many of the defining events and institutions of nineteenth-century America. The continued use of his name for educational and civic institutions—most recently The Ohio State University's Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society—reflects an ongoing recognition of his contributions to American civic life.