Solomon Southwick | |
|---|---|
 1804 portrait by Ezra Ames. Albany Institute of History & Art. | |
| Anti-Masonic Party Nominee for Governor of New York | |
| In office 1828 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Francis Granger |
| Postmaster of Albany, New York | |
| In office 1821–1822 | |
| Preceded by | Gerrit L. Dox |
| Succeeded by | Solomon Van Rensselaer |
| Member of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York | |
| In office 1812–1823 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Gansevoort |
| Succeeded by | Peter Wendell |
| Sheriff of Albany County, New York | |
| In office 1808–1810 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence L. Van Kleeck |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Mancius |
| Clerk of the New York State Senate | |
| In office 1807–1808 | |
| Preceded by | Henry L. Bleecker |
| Succeeded by | Sebastian Visscher |
| Clerk of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office 1803–1806 | |
| Preceded by | James Van Ingen |
| Succeeded by | Gerrit Y. Lansing |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1773 Newport, Rhode Island, British America |
| Died | November 18, 1839 (aged 65) Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Albany Rural Cemetery |
| Spouse | Jane Barber (m. 1795) (d. January 31, 1861) |
| Children | 9 (5 lived to adulthood) |
| Occupation | Printer Newspaper publisher and editor Bank president Government official Political organizer |
| Known for | Organizer and proponent of the Anti-Masonic Party |
Solomon Southwick (December 25, 1773 – November 18, 1839) was an American newspaper publisher and political figure who was a principal organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Southwick was apprenticed as a baker and trained as a commercial sailor. In 1792, he relocated to Albany, New York to work for the Albany Register newspaper, of which he later became editor and publisher. He also became affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party and served in a variety of elected and appointed political positions.
In the 1820s, Southwick left the Democratic-Republicans and the Albany Register, and he edited a variety of agricultural and religious newspapers. He also played a major part in founding the Anti-Masonic Party and was its 1828 candidate for Governor of New York. After the Anti-Masons were supplanted by the Whigs as the major alternative to the Democratic Party, Southwick decided to forgo further involvement in politics. He became a successful speaker and lecturer and remained active until his death in Albany.