Calvin C Chaffee

Calvin Clifford Chaffee (1811–1896) was an American medical doctor and politician known for his opposition to slavery. Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, he graduated from Middlebury College's medical school in 1835 and began practicing medicine in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In 1854, Chaffee was elected to the U.S. Congress as part of the Know Nothing party's sweep in Massachusetts. An abolitionist, he later joined the Republican Party and was reelected in 1856. He married Clara Nourse (d. 1848), with whom he had two children, Emma and Clemens. After her death, he wed Eliza Irene Emerson, widow of Dr. John Emerson, who owned Dred Scott. Chaffee learned in February 1857 that his wife owned Scott, just before the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision.

Facing criticism for hypocrisy, Chaffee arranged Scott's return to his original owners for emancipation. Due to negative publicity, he did not seek reelection in 1858 and became Librarian of the House of Representatives until 1862. He then practiced medicine in Washington, D.C., until 1876, returning to Springfield where he died in 1896.

Chaffee's actions highlighted his stance against slavery, culminating in his involvement with the infamous Dred Scott case and his later medical career.