David Colbreth Broderick (February 4, 1820 – September 16, 1859) was a United States Senator and an anti-slavery advocate. He was the first cousin of Andrew Kennedy and Case Broderick.
He was born in Washington, D.C., the son of an Irish stonecutter who had immigrated to the United States in order to work on the United States Capitol. Broderick moved with his parents to New York City in 1823, where he attended public schools.
He was apprenticed t...
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David Colbreth Broderick (February 4, 1820 – September 16, 1859) was a United States Senator and an anti-slavery advocate. He was the first cousin of Andrew Kennedy and Case Broderick.
He was born in Washington, D.C., the son of an Irish stonecutter who had immigrated to the United States in order to work on the United States Capitol. Broderick moved with his parents to New York City in 1823, where he attended public schools.
He was apprenticed to a stonecutter when young. In 1846 he ran for election to the United States House of Representatives, but did not win the election. He moved to California in 1849 and engaged in smelting and assaying gold. Broderick began the minting of gold coins, with less value of gold in them than their face value. His $10 coins, for example, only had $8 worth of gold in them. He used the profits to finance his political aspirations.
He was a member of the California State Senate from 1850–1851, serving as its president in 1851. From then on, he was...
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