lawyer, politician, U.S. Senator from N.Y., territorial governor of Wisconsin, b. Chatham, N.Y. He graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. (B.A., 1815), studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1818, and set up a law practice in Poughkeepsie. A Democrat, Tallmadge served several terms in the New York legislature, and two terms as U.S. Senator from New York (Mar. 1833-June 1844). Despite his Democratic political affiliations, Tallmadge was a vigorous critic of Martin Van Buren and John C. Calhoun, and in 1840 was offered the nomination for vice-president as running mate of William Henry Harrison, but declined. In June, 1844, he resigned his senatorship to accept an appointment by President John Tyler as governor of Wisconsin Territory, serving in this capacity until 1845. As territorial governor, Tallmadge urged railroad development, opposed a 21-year naturalization period, and recommended the founding of agricultural societies and schools. After being removed from office with the change of national administration in 1845, he made his home in Fond du Lac for several years, where he had extensive land holdings. He spent his later years in Battle Creek, Mich., where he turned to Spiritualism and devoted his time to writing treatises on the subject. Biog. Dir. Amer. Cong. (1928); Wis. Mag. Hist., 3, 7; Natl. Cyclopaedia Amer. Biog., 12 (1904); C. S. Matteson, Illus. Hist. of Wis. (Milwaukee, 1893); WPA MS; N. P. Tallmadge Papers.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Nathaniel Pitcher Tallmadge Papers for details.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]