ROGER B. TANEY
Early legal document signed twice.
Autograph Document Signed: "R.B. Taney" and "Roger B. Taney" in text, 1p, 8½x8. No place or date but probably Frederick, Maryland, 1801-1810. In part: "John Hughes - Jacob Boyer Jun} and the said Jacob by Roger B. Taney his attorney comes & defends...and inquires when & so forth and saith that the said John his action aforesaid against him...because he saith that he is Not Guilty in manner & form as the said John saith vis his declaration...." Taney began practicing law in Frederick, Maryland in 1801. In 1806, he married Anne Key, sister of his fellow law student, Francis Scott Key. Active in his law practice and politics, Taney ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1814 but was elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1816. Maryland Attorney General since 1827, he was appointed Jackson's Attorney General in 1831. President Jackson named Taney as Secretary of the Treasury in 1833, but his nomination was rejected by the Senate in 1834. Taney was the first Cabinet appointee to be rejected. Appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1835, the Senate rejected that appointment too. In 1836, Jackson named Taney Chief Justice to succeed John Marshall. A change in the make up of the Senate resulted in Taney's confirmation and he served until his death in 1864. Fragile. Browned at margins, touching some words. ¾-inch separation at left horizontal fold touches 1 word (all letters intact). Light ink transference from being folded. Irregular lower edge. Heavily toned. Light surface creases. Edges worn and irregular. Otherwise, fine condition.