Thomas Day (July 6, 1777 – March 1, 1855) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as the secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1810 to 1835.

Notable quotes

“I never thought I had a right to sacrifice another being to my own good or pleasure; but whatever else ensued you would be placed in circumstances infinitely more favourable to happiness than before.”
— In a letter to Sabrina Sidney, whom Day attempted to groom into the "perfect wife", explaining his behaviour towards her; as quoted in How to Create the Perfect Wife: The True Story of One Gentleman, Two Orphans and an Experiment to Create the Ideal Woman (2013), Weidenfeld & Nicolson, p. 115
“If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves.”
— Written in response to the publication of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, attacking the hypocrisy of American Patriots owning slaves while demanding independence; as quoted in Fragment of an original letter on the slavery of the negroes : written in the year 1776 (1836), Garrison and Knapp, p. 10

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Overview

Thomas Day (July 6, 1777 – March 1, 1855) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as the secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1810 to 1835. Early life and education Day was born in New Preston, Connecticut, in 1777, a descendant of Robert Day, one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut. Day graduated from Yale College in 1797 and studied law at Litchfield Law School. From September 1798 to September 1799, was a tutor in Williams College. Day read law with Daniel Dewey. He was admitted to the bar in December 1799, and began practice in Hartford. Career In 1809, Day was appointed assistant secretary of the state of Connecticut and in 1810 secretary, an office which he retained until 1835. In May 1815, he became associate judge of the county court of Hartford, acting in this capacity, with the exception of one year, until May 1825, when he was made chief judge of that court, and so continued until June. 1833. He was a judge of the city court of Hartford from 1818–31 and contributed to city statutes of 1808, 1821, and 1824. He reported the decisions of the court from 1805 until 1853, which were published in twenty volumes.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).