Clifford, Nathan

Born August 18, 1803, in Rumney, NH
Died July 25, 1881, in Cornish, ME

Federal Judicial Service:
Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
Nominated by James Buchanan on December 9, 1857, to a seat vacated by Benjamin R. Curtis. Confirmed by the Senate on January 12, 1858, and received commission on January 12, 1858. Service terminated on July 25, 1881, due to death.

Supreme Court Oath:
January 21, 1858

Allotment as Circuit Justice:

First Circuit, February 15, 1858-May 1, 1881

Education:
Read law, 1827

Professional Career:

Private practice, Newfield, Maine, 1827-1830, 1843-1846
State representative, Maine, 1830-1834; speaker, 1832-1834
Attorney general, State of Maine, 1834-1838
U.S. representative from Maine, 1839-1843
Attorney General of the United States, 1846-1848
Minister to Mexico, U.S. Department of State, 1848-1849
Private practice, Portland, Maine, 1849-1857

Bibliography

Bradbury, James Ware. Memoir of Nathan Clifford. Portland: Collections of the Maine Historical Society, 1887.

Chandler, Walter. “Nathan Clifford: A Triumph of Untiring Effort.” American Bar Association Journal, vol. 11, no. 1 (1925): 57-60.

Clifford, Philip Greely. Nathan Clifford, Democrat (1803-1881). New York: G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1922.

Jones, Michael E. “Five New Hampshire U.S. Supreme Court Justices: Woodbury, Clifford, Chase, Stone and Souter.” New Hampshire Bar Journal, vol. 33, no. 4 (Dec. 1992): 6-12.

Manuscript Collections

Maine Historical Society
Portland, Me.
Nathan Clifford papers, 1831-1881.
2 ft. and 200 items; collection contains 2 boxes of Clifford's legal opinions and 3 bundles of correspondence.

Federal Judicial Center

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Clifford, Nathan