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Nathan Dane

Nathan Dane (29 decembre 1752 / 15 fevrier 1835) est un avocat et un homme politique Américain des Etats Unis qui represente le Massachusetts au congrés continental de 1785 à 1788. Dane aide à formuler l'Ordonance du Nord-Ouest pendant qu'il siège au congrès, et à introduire des modifications sur cette ordonance interdisant l'esclavage sur le territoire Nord-Ouest[1].


Early life and education[modifier | modifier le code]

Dane was born at Ipswich in Essex County, Massachusetts. His father Daniel Dane was a farmer, and his mother's name was Abigail. Ancestor John Dane Sr. had immigrated to Massachusetts from England (not Denmark) in 1636[2].

Dane est né à Ipswich dans le Comté d'Essex (Massachusetts). Son père, Daniel Dane était fermier, et le nom de sa mère était Abigail. Son ancêtre, John Dane Senior, avait migré de l'Angleterre vers le Massachusett en 1636.


Dane worked on the family farm in Ipswich until he turned twenty. Moving on to college at Harvard, his major interest was in mathematics, and he graduated in 1778. Then he taught school and read for the law.[3] In 1779 he married Mary Brown (they would have no children)[4].

Dane travailla dans la ferme familiale à Ipswich jusqu'à ce qu'il ait vingt ans. Il fréquenta l'Université de Harvard, avec un principal intérêt pour les mathématiques, et fut diplômé en 1778. Puis il enseigna et fut des conférences en droit. En 1779, il épousa Mary Brown (Ils n'ont pas eu d'enfants).


Dane was admitted to the bar and set up a legal practice in Beverly in 1782. That same year, he entered elective office in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served until 1785. Dane's hearing was poor throughout his career, and steadily got worse[3].

Dane fut admis à la barre et mit en place un cabinet d'avocats à Beverly en 1782. Cette même année, il a rejoignit un groupe d'élus à la Chambre des représentants du Massachusetts, ou il servit jusqu'en 1785. L'audience de Dane fut pauvre tout au long de sa carrière, et se fut de pire en pire.

Continental Congress[modifier | modifier le code]

In 1785, Dane became a Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress, where he helped draft the Northwest Ordinance which was enacted on July 13, 1787. The Ordinance encouraged American settlers into the Northwest Territory and formed the basis of the constitutions of the five states there: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Northwest Ordinance also banned slavery in the Northwest Territory. Dane’s amendment banning slavery was offered at the last minute, and was quickly accepted without much discussion, to the surprise of Dane himself, who “had no idea the States would agree to the sixth article, prohibiting slavery…."[5]

En 1785, Dane est devenu député du Massachusetts au Congrès Continental, où il a aidé à rédiger l'ordonnance du Nord-Ouest qui a été promulguée le 13 juillet 1787. L'ordonnance a encouragé les colons américains à s'installer dans le Territoire du Nord-Ouest et a formé la base des constitutions des cinq Etats : Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, le Michigan et le Wisconsin. L'ordonnance du Nord-Ouest a également interdit l'esclavage dans le Territoire du Nord-Ouest. Dane demanda un amendement interdisant l'esclavage qui a été presenté à la dernière minute, et a été rapidement accepté sans grande discussion, à la surprise de Dane-même, qui ne pensait pas que les États serait d'accord pour le sixième article, interdisant l'esclavage...

In February 1787, Dane proposed a resolution authorizing the Philadelphia Convention to amend the Articles of Confederation, and that resolution was adopted.[3][6] Out of that Philadelphia Convention came the proposed United States Constitution, but Dane had reservations about supporting its ratification. In July of 1788, Dane finally wrote a pivotal letter of support to Melancton Smith of New York, saying that he (Dane) feared violence and social upheaval if the Constitution were not ratified, and Dane supported ratification with the understanding that there would be amendments, which eventually came to be known as the United States Bill of Rights[4],[7].


En Février 1787, Dane a proposé une résolution autorisant la Convention de Philadelphie à modifier les Statuts de la Confédération, et que la résolution a été adoptée.

Later career[modifier | modifier le code]

Dane was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate from 1790 to 1791 and again from 1794 to 1797. In 1794 he served on a commission that reviewed and codified the laws of Massachusetts.

Later, while practicing law, Dane remained an active reformer, on behalf of vocational education and humane treatment of prisoners. He also helped establish the American Temperance Society to discourage use and abuse of alcoholic beverages[3].

He was a member of the Federalist Party and its Essex Junto.[8] The Massachusetts legislature appointed him as a delegate to the Hartford Convention during the War of 1812, which damaged his reputation, although Dane saw himself as a voice of moderation at the Convention who did not have any secessionist intentions: "Someone must go to prevent mischief", he said[3].

"Father of American Jurisprudence"[modifier | modifier le code]

By 1820, Dane was almost totally deaf, but he continued working long hours in his library, writing two major treatises. The first of those two treatises was published in 1823, and was titled A General Abridgement and Digest of American Law. Its eight volumes were supplemented by a ninth in 1829.[3] The Abridgment was very successful,[9] and was the "first systematic treatise covering the entire field of American law."[10] It became a standard work, and every lawyer of distinction bought a copy[11].

Dane used the substantial proceeds from the Abridgement to provide an endowment for a law school at Harvard University, specifying that the first Dane Professorship of Law would go to his old friend Joseph Story. For a while, Harvard Law School was called "Dane Law School"[12].

On account of the Abridgement and his generosity to the law school at Harvard, together with his co-authorship of the Northwest Ordinance, Dane has been called the "Father of American Jurisprudence."[13] The Abridgment was often cited in later years; for example, when abolitionist Wendell Phillips argued against Lysander Spooner's notion that judges have an obligation to disregard any law that the judges deem wrong, Philips cited[14] the following legal maxim in which Dane assigned that obligation to legislators instead of judges:

Municipal or civil law...is the rule of municipal or civil conduct, prescribed by the superior power in the state commanding what the legislature deems right, and prohibiting what it deems wrong.[15]

Dane's other treatise was titled a Moral and Political Survey of America. It has been described as "arguably the first broad-based national history from English and Spanish colonization through the War of Independence"[3].

Death and posthumous honors[modifier | modifier le code]

Dane died at home in Beverly and was buried in the Central Cemetery there. Dane County, Wisconsin was formed in 1836 and named in his honor. Within Dane County, there is a Town of Dane, and within the Town of Dane is a village called Dane, Wisconsin.

Writings[modifier | modifier le code]

General Abridgement and Digest of American Law, with Occasional Notes and Comments:

Volume 1 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 2 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 3 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 4 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 5 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 6 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 7 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 8 (1824) via Google Books

Volume 9 (1829) via Google Books

Notes[modifier | modifier le code]

  1. ↑ Dane, Nathan, 1752-1835, Wisconsin Historical Society.
  2. ↑ Hurd, Duane. History of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Part 1, page 1208 (1887).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f et g Eastman, W. Dean. “Nathan Dane” in The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law edited by Roger K. Newman, pages 147-148 (2009).
  4. ↑ a et b Wakelyn, John. Birth of the Bill of Rights: Biographies, page 58 (2004).
  5. ↑ Finkelman, Paul. Slavery and the Founders: Race and Liberty in the Age of Jefferson, page 44 (2001).
  6. ↑ Resolution of Congress of February 21, 1787, The Founders' Constitution, Volume 4, Article 7, Document 1.
  7. ↑ Wakelyn, Jon. Birth of the Bill of Rights: Major Writings, Volume 2, page 151 (2004).
  8. ↑ Syrett, Harold. The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, v. 24, page 575, n. 7 (1976).
  9. ↑ Friedman, Lawrence. A History of American Law, page 321 (2005).
  10. ↑ Wiecek, William. The Lost World of Classical Legal Thought: Law and Ideology in America, 1886-1937, page 40 (2001).
  11. ↑ Warren, Charles. History of the Harvard Law School and of early legal conditions in America, Volume 1, page 414 (1908).
  12. ↑ "Law School Has Fine Portrait Collection”, Harvard Crimson(1930-01-23).
  13. ↑ Chaney, Henry. “Nathan Dane”, The Green Bag, Volume 3, page 548 (1891).
  14. ↑ Phillips, Wendell. Review of Spooner's Essay on the Unconstitutionality of Slavery (1847).
  15. ↑ Dane, Nathan. Abridgment, Volume 6, page 430.

Further reading[modifier | modifier le code]

  • Johnson, Andrew J. The Life and Constitutional Thought of Nathan Dane. New York: Garland, 1987. (ISBN 0-8240-8277-X)

External links[modifier | modifier le code]

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME = Dane, Nathan | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = December 29, 1752 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = February 15, 1835 | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Dane, Nathan}} [[Category:1752 births]] [[Category:1835 deaths]] [[Category:Harvard University alumni]] [[Category:Continental Congressmen from Massachusetts]] [[Category:Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives]] [[Category:Massachusetts State Senators]] [[Category:Massachusetts Federalists]]

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