Elizur Goodrich

Elizur Goodrich (March 24, 1761 – November 1, 1849) was an eighteenth-century American lawyer and politician from Connecticut. He served as a United States representative from Connecticut and Collector of Customs. He was also a slave owner. Biography Born in Durham in the Connecticut Colony, he was the son of Elizur Goodrich. He graduated from Yale College in 1779, was a tutor there from 1781 to 1783, and studied law. After his was admitted to the bar in 1783, he began the practice of law in New Haven. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1795 to 1802 and was its Clerk for six sessions and its Speaker for two. In the 1796 United States presidential election he was a Federalist elector for President, supporting Federalist candidate John Adams against Democratic-Republican Party candidate Thomas Jefferson. He was elected to represent Connecticut At-Large to the Sixth and Seventh Congresses, but only served in the Sixth Congress from March 4, 1799 to March 3, 1801 because President John Adams appointed him collector of customs for the Port of New Haven. After a short time he was removed from the office of collector by Adams' successor, President Thomas Jefferson. The discussion of this act elicited from Jefferson a letter in which he avowed his approval of removal for political opinions.