Obadiah German

Obadiah German (April 22, 1766 – September 24, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He was most notable for his service as a U.S. Senator from New York (1809-1815) and Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1819.

Life He was born on April 22, 1766, in Amenia, New York. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1792, and commenced practice in Norwich. In a speech he gave in the Senate on June 13, 1812, German noted the overwhelming strength of Britain:

In 1812, German was one of the founding trustees of Hamilton College. He was First Judge of the Chenango County Court from 1814 to 1819. German returned to the Assembly in 1819 as a member of the Clintonian faction of the Democratic-Republican Party and was chosen to serve as Speaker.

Lewis German (d. 1819) was a lieutenant in the United States Navy and a veteran of the War of 1812. Morris Sutherland Albert was an innkeeper in Norwich before moving to Ohio. and became insolvent after his business failed in 1820. Julia, who was the wife of Stephen Anderson of Norwich, and later resided in Wisconsin.

After the death of his first wife, he married Mary Ann Knight. She took up residence in Syracuse and became a public charge after being found "in a state of great destitution", her efforts at earning a living through painting and "fancy work" having failed.

Attempts to locate portrait German is one of approximately 50 former senators for whom the U.S. Senate's photo historian has no likeness on file. Attempts to locate one have proved unsuccessful.