Nathan Clifford

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Nathan Clifford (August 18, 1803 – July 25, 1881) was an American statesman, diplomat, and judge who earned the rare distinction of serving in all three branches of the U.S. government.

Early life and career
He was born in Rumney, New Hampshire, the oldest of seven children. Clifford studied law, was admitted to the Maine bar in 1827, and began practicing in Newfield, Maine. He and his wife, Hannah Ayer, had six children.

State and national government
Clifford entered politics in Maine, serving in the Maine House of Representatives (including a term as Speaker from 1833 to 1834) and as Maine Attorney General from 1834 to 1838. He later moved to national politics, representing Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1839 to 1843.

Polk administration and diplomacy
President James K. Polk appointed him as U.S. Attorney General, a position he held from 1846 to 1848. He then served as the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1848 to 1849, where he helped arrange the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which made California part of the United States and set borders with Mexico.

Supreme Court tenure
In 1858, President Polk’s successor, James Buchanan, named Clifford an associate justice of the Supreme Court. He served on the Court until his death in 1881. Clifford wrote many opinions (about 398 as part of the majority) and was known for careful, thorough reasoning. He believed in limiting federal power and stressing the importance of interpreting the Constitution according to its clear terms, while also showing loyalty to the Union during the Civil War. He is noted for distinct stances on several key issues, including opinions on the power of the federal government, the rights of states, and the balance between Union and Reconstruction policies.

Later life and legacy
Clifford’s health declined in his later years; he suffered a stroke in 1880 and died in 1881 in Cornish, Maine. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine. His legacy includes a Maine elementary school named after him and the WWII Liberty Ship SS Nathan Clifford.