Charles Gordon Atherton

Democrat Senator of New Hampshire

Congresses Served

House Terms

Senate Terms

July 4, 1804 (49 years old)

Birthday

November 15, 1853

Death

Served in the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1843
Served in the United States Senate from 1843 to 1849 and again in 1853
Was a lawyer by profession
Received a classical education and graduated from Harvard University in 1822
Was a States-rights Democrat who believed in the constitutional permissibility of slavery and opposed federal intervention in the matter
Elected as a member and later Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in the early 1830s
Known for composing the “Atherton Gag” in 1838, a rule that stifled petitions related to ending slavery
Maintained a close friendship with notable figures such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and was in the inner circle of Franklin Pierce
Died suddenly from pulmonary tuberculosis in 1853, leaving a significant vacancy in the Senate
Married Ann Barnard Clark in 1828 but had no children
Was a direct descendant of James Atherton, one of the First Settlers of New England, and had a family background that included early anti-slavery campaigning
His unexpected death occurred shortly after returning to the Senate, preventing him from becoming Franklin Pierce’s spokesman in the Senate