Interesting exercise, probably for an undergraduate college history student: What became of these men during their service in the Utah Territory, and afterward? What effect did they have on Utah’s history, and Utah on them?
On September 26, 1850, Millard Fillmore sent the Senate, for confirmation, his nominations of officers to run the Utah Territory, three years after Brigham Young had led the first band of Latter-day Saints into the Salt Lake Valley to settle; Fillmore nominated Brigham Young as Governor of the Territory:
Letter from President Millard Fillmore to the U.S. Senate, nominating people (all men) to govern the Utah Territory, September 26, 1850 – U.S. National Archives image
Page 2:
Page 2 of President Fillmore’s letter to the U.S. Senate, nominating officers to govern the Utah Territory , in 1850. National Archives image
National Archives notes: Executive Nominations for the First Session of the 31st Congress, 12/03/1849 – 09/30/1850
Production Dates: 09/26/1850
Notes in red ink indicate that confirmation dates for each of these nominees — all but one done two days later. Fillmore’s nominee to be U.S. marshall in the territory wasn’t confirmed until the following February.
Amazing to think of the speed with which these confirmations occurred, compared to today’s U.S. Senate — and remembering that Congress was not particularly friendly to Fillmore.
An animated GIF of the Utah Territory as it evolved from 1850 to 1896, when statehood was granted. (Territory boundaries not exact, especially in the west, where early proposals took in parts of California) Wikipedia image
Nominations were:
- Brigham Young, of Utah, to be governor of the Utah territory
- Broughton Davis Harris, of Vermont, to be Secretary of the territory
- Joseph Buffington, of Pennsylvania, to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Utah Territory
- Perry E. Brocchus, of Alabama, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Utah Territory
- Zerubabbel Snow, of Ohio, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Utah Territory
- Seth Blain, of Utah, to be U.S. Attorney
- Joseph L. Haywood, of Utah, to be U.S. Marshall.
What other odd little delights are hidden away in the on-line holdings of the National Archives? What sort of DBQ exercise can history teachers make out of this stuff?
More:
- ‘Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?’ No, I look at the senators and I pray for the country… Edward Everett Hale (sesquicentenary.wordpress.com)
Brigham Young in 1851; photo from LDS archives
Yes, this is an encore post. Defeating ignorance takes patience and perseverance.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Confirmations used to go more quickly, yes. The first Supreme Court, each member of Congress probably knew each of the justices. No hearings, no grand debates, certainly no investigations.
A two-day confirmation was still possible in 1850. Could be possible today, if Congress did its job.
LikeLike
Another “odd delight” from you! We shall see how long it takes to confirm another justice to the Supreme Court. Stay tuned…
LikeLike