Levi Woodbury

Details

Birth

December 22, 1789 · Francestown, New Hampshire

Death

September 4, 1851

Law school

litchfield (tapping reeve) law school

Prior experience

U.s. supreme court justice (recess)

Biography

Levi Woodbury (December 22, 1789 – September 4, 1851) was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1845 until his death in 1851. Born in Francestown, New Hampshire, to a farming family, Woodbury graduated from Dartmouth College in 1809 and studied law at the Litchfield Law School in Connecticut. He was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in 1812 and quickly entered politics, serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and as a judge on the state's Superior Court. Woodbury's political career flourished as a Democrat, serving as Governor of New Hampshire (1823-1824), United States Senator (1825-1831, 1841-1845), and Secretary of the Navy (1831-1834) and Secretary of the Treasury (1834-1841) under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. President James K. Polk nominated Woodbury to the Supreme Court in 1845, making him the first Justice to have attended law school. As a Justice, Woodbury adhered to a strict constructionist judicial philosophy, emphasizing states' rights and limited federal power. His most significant opinion came in Jones v. Van Zandt (1847), where he upheld the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, arguing that federal law compelled the return of escaped slaves regardless of state laws. Woodbury also wrote notable opinions in commercial law cases, reflecting his expertise gained as Treasury Secretary. His tenure was cut short by his death in 1851 after serving only six years. Woodbury's legacy reflects the tensions of the antebellum period, as his judicial decisions supported federal authority in slavery matters while generally favoring limited government power in other areas.

Notable opinions

• Passenger Cases
• Jones v. Van Zandt