Samuel Chase

Samuel Chase
Born	17 4, 1741
Birthplace	Somerset County, Maryland, British America
Died	Template:Death date and age Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Jurist, politician
Known for	Signer of the Declaration of Independence; only U.S. Supreme Court Justice to be impeached

Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was an American Founding Father, jurist, and politician who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1796 until his death in 1811. A signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, Chase played an active role in the colonial resistance to British rule and in the political life of the early American republic. He remains the only Supreme Court Justice in the history of the United States to have been impeached by the House of Representatives, a distinction that arose from allegations that his partisan Federalist leanings influenced his judicial conduct. The impeachment trial, held in 1805, ended in acquittal by the Senate, and Chase continued to serve on the Court for the remainder of his life. His acquittal has been cited by legal historians and scholars as an important precedent for the independence of the federal judiciary, establishing that disagreement with a judge's political views does not constitute grounds for removal from office.

Early Life

Samuel Chase was born on April 17, 1741, near Princess Anne in Somerset County, Maryland, which was then part of British America. His mother died shortly after his birth. Chase was raised by his father, Thomas Chase, an Episcopal clergyman who had emigrated from England. The elder Chase assumed primary responsibility for his son's upbringing and education, providing him with a rigorous classical education at home.

Under his father's tutelage, young Samuel received instruction in the classics, including Latin and Greek, as well as in general literature and history. This education prepared him for a career in law, which he began pursuing in his late teenage years. At approximately age eighteen, Chase commenced the study of law in the offices of Hammond and Hall, a prominent Annapolis law firm. After completing his legal studies, Chase was admitted to the bar in 1761 and established a legal practice in Annapolis, Maryland, which would serve as his home base for much of his early career.

Annapolis in the mid-eighteenth century was the political and social capital of Maryland, and Chase quickly immersed himself in the public life of the colony. His legal practice brought him into contact with many of the leading figures of Maryland's colonial society, and he developed a reputation as an energetic and combative advocate. His forceful personality and willingness to engage in political controversy would define his public career for the next five decades.

Education

Chase's formal education was conducted entirely under the direction of his father, the Reverend Thomas Chase. The elder Chase provided his son with a thorough grounding in classical languages, literature, and theology, consistent with the educational standards expected of the sons of clergymen in colonial America. Rather than attending a college or university, Chase pursued his professional education through an apprenticeship in law, studying in the Annapolis offices of Hammond and Hall. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1761 at approximately the age of twenty.

Career

Early Political Career and the American Revolution

Chase entered public life at a young age, winning election to the Maryland General Assembly in 1764, where he would serve for over two decades until 1784. From his earliest days in the Assembly, Chase established himself as an outspoken critic of British colonial policies. He became a leading voice in Maryland's resistance to the Stamp Act of 1765 and other measures imposed by the British Parliament. His fiery rhetoric and confrontational style earned him both admirers and detractors; the royal governor of Maryland, Robert Eden, reportedly referred to him as a "busy, restless incendiary, a ringleader of mobs."

Chase was a member of the Sons of Liberty in Maryland and participated in efforts to organize colonial opposition to British taxation and trade policies. He was among the signers of the Continental Association in 1774, a compact among the American colonies to boycott British goods as a form of economic protest.

In 1774, Chase was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he served alongside other leading figures of the independence movement. He became a strong advocate for separation from Great Britain and worked to build support among the Maryland delegation for a declaration of independence. Maryland's provincial convention had initially instructed its delegates to oppose independence, and Chase undertook a campaign to persuade the convention to reverse its position. His efforts proved successful, and the Maryland convention eventually authorized its delegates to vote for independence.

On August 2, 1776, Chase was among the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence, representing the colony of Maryland. His signature on the document cemented his place among the Founding Fathers of the United States.

During the Revolutionary War, Chase undertook a mission to Canada along with Benjamin Franklin and Charles Carroll of Carrollton in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the French Canadians to join the American cause or at least remain neutral in the conflict.

Chase's career during the Revolutionary period was not without controversy. In 1778, he was accused of attempting to use insider knowledge of congressional proceedings to corner the flour market. Alexander Hamilton, writing under a pseudonym, publicly criticized Chase for the alleged profiteering. The controversy damaged Chase's reputation and led to his recall from Congress by the Maryland legislature.

Judicial Career in Maryland

Following his time in the Continental Congress, Chase continued to be active in Maryland politics and law. He served as a judge on the Baltimore District Criminal Court and later on the Maryland General Court, gaining experience on the bench that would shape his later career on the federal judiciary. Chase also participated in the Maryland convention to ratify the United States Constitution in 1788. Despite his earlier advocacy for a strong central authority during the Revolution, Chase initially opposed ratification, expressing concerns about the scope of federal power. He eventually came to support the Constitution and the Federalist cause.

During this period, Chase also faced financial difficulties. His speculative business ventures, including investments in land and various commercial enterprises, frequently led him into debt. These financial troubles would persist throughout much of his life and were a source of ongoing concern.

Supreme Court Appointment

In January 1796, President George Washington nominated Samuel Chase to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of John Blair. Chase was confirmed by the Senate and took the oath of office on February 4, 1796.

Chase's appointment to the Supreme Court came during a period of intense partisan conflict between the Federalist Party, to which Chase belonged, and the emerging Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The federal judiciary was dominated by Federalist appointees, and the courts became a focal point of political tension as the two parties competed for control of the national government.

On the bench, Chase quickly developed a reputation for his forceful and often combative judicial style. He was known for his strong opinions and his willingness to use the bench as a platform for expressing his political views. His conduct during trials under the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 became particularly controversial. The Sedition Act, passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress, made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious" writings against the government or its officials. Chase presided over several trials of individuals charged under the Act and was accused of conducting the proceedings in a manner that was biased against the defendants.

Among the most notable of these cases was the trial of James Callender, a journalist and political pamphleteer who had published criticisms of President John Adams. Chase's handling of the Callender trial drew particular criticism; he was accused of making prejudicial remarks, of rushing the proceedings, and of refusing to allow the defense to present certain evidence. The trial of John Fries, who had led an armed resistance to a federal tax in Pennsylvania, also attracted controversy for Chase's conduct on the bench.

In addition to his conduct during specific trials, Chase drew criticism for a charge he delivered to a grand jury in Baltimore in May 1803, in which he openly attacked the policies of the Jefferson administration and the Democratic-Republican Party. He criticized recent changes to the Maryland constitution and to the federal judiciary, and warned that the country was headed toward "mobocracy." This address was seen by many as a blatant expression of partisan bias from the bench and provided the immediate catalyst for impeachment proceedings.

Impeachment

The impeachment of Samuel Chase was one of the defining political events of the early American republic and remains a landmark episode in the history of the federal judiciary. Following the election of 1800, which brought Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican Party to power, the new administration sought to reduce Federalist influence over the federal courts. Jefferson and his allies viewed the judiciary as the last bastion of Federalist power and considered various means of curtailing it.

In early 1804, the House of Representatives took up the matter of Chase's conduct. On March 12, 1804, the House voted to impeach Chase, passing eight articles of impeachment. The articles centered on Chase's alleged political bias in his conduct on the bench, including his handling of the Callender and Fries trials, his treatment of defense counsel and jurors, and his inflammatory grand jury charge in Baltimore.

The impeachment trial was held in the Senate chamber in February 1805. The proceedings were presided over by Vice President Aaron Burr, who at the time was under indictment in both New York and New Jersey for the killing of Alexander Hamilton in their famous duel the previous July. Despite his own legal troubles, Burr was reported to have conducted the trial with dignity and impartiality.

Chase's defense was led by a team of prominent attorneys, including Luther Martin, one of the leading lawyers of the era. The defense argued that Chase's conduct, while perhaps intemperate, did not constitute the "high crimes and misdemeanors" required by the Constitution for removal from office. The defense further contended that impeachment should not be used as a tool for removing judges whose political views were unpopular, as this would undermine the independence of the judiciary.

On March 1, 1805, the Senate voted on each of the eight articles of impeachment. Chase was acquitted on all counts; the prosecution failed to achieve the two-thirds supermajority required for conviction on any article. Several Democratic-Republican senators joined the Federalists in voting for acquittal, reflecting concerns that a conviction would set a dangerous precedent by making judges subject to removal for their political opinions rather than for genuine criminal conduct.

Chase is the only Supreme Court Justice in United States history to have been impeached by the House of Representatives.

Later Years on the Court

Following his acquittal, Chase continued to serve on the Supreme Court, though his role on the bench was somewhat diminished. His health began to decline in the years after the impeachment trial. He suffered from gout and other ailments that increasingly limited his ability to carry out his judicial duties. Despite these challenges, Chase remained on the Court until his death on June 19, 1811, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was succeeded on the Court by Gabriel Duvall, who was nominated by President James Madison.

Personal Life

Samuel Chase married Anne Baldwin in 1762. The couple had several children together before Anne's death in 1776. Chase subsequently married Hannah Kitty Giles, the daughter of a prominent English family, in 1784.

Throughout his life, Chase was known for his combative and forceful personality. He was physically imposing and earned the nickname "Old Bacon Face" for his ruddy complexion. His temperament frequently brought him into conflict with colleagues and opponents alike, and he was involved in numerous personal and political disputes over the course of his career.

Chase experienced chronic financial difficulties, largely as a result of unsuccessful speculative ventures in land and commerce. These financial troubles were a recurring theme in his life and occasionally intersected with his public career, as in the flour speculation controversy during the Revolution.

Samuel Chase died on June 19, 1811, in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of seventy. He was buried at St. Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore.

Recognition

Chase's legacy is primarily associated with his role as a signer of the Declaration of Independence and with his impeachment trial. He is commemorated in various ways throughout the state of Maryland and beyond. Chase's portrait, painted by John Wesley Jarvis in 1811, is held in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The Samuel Chase House in Annapolis, Maryland, is a historic property associated with his residence in the city and has been recognized for its architectural and historical significance.

Chase is included in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and in the records of the Federal Judicial Center as a significant figure in early American legal and political history.

Legacy

The acquittal of Samuel Chase in 1805 has been regarded by many legal scholars and historians as a defining moment in the development of the American constitutional system. The outcome of the trial established an effective precedent that impeachment would not be used as a mechanism for removing federal judges on the basis of their political opinions or judicial philosophy. This principle has been invoked repeatedly in subsequent debates over the role and independence of the federal judiciary.

Steve Vladeck, a legal scholar and commentator on the Supreme Court, has described Chase's impeachment and acquittal as "a powerful precedent for judicial independence," noting that the case began in the context of a partisan struggle over the courts and ended by reinforcing the principle that judges should not be removed merely for holding views unpopular with the political majority.

The case has been cited in modern political discourse as well. In a 2025 article, Reason Magazine drew parallels between the Chase impeachment and contemporary debates over the independence of the federal bench, arguing that the episode demonstrated the dangers of attempting to use impeachment as a tool for political control of the judiciary. Similarly, a 2021 Washington Post article examined the trial in the broader context of early American political conflict, noting the unusual circumstance of Vice President Aaron Burr — then under indictment for the killing of Alexander Hamilton — presiding over the proceedings.

Chase's career also illustrates the complexities and contradictions of the Founding generation. He was at once a champion of independence and liberty, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a judge whose conduct on the bench raised fundamental questions about the relationship between law and politics in the new republic. His life and career have been the subject of ongoing scholarly attention, and his impeachment trial remains one of the most frequently studied episodes in the history of the United States Supreme Court.