Hannibal Hamlin was an American attorney and politician from Maine. In a public service career that spanned over 50 years, he served as the 15th vice president of the United States. The first Republican to hold the office, Hamlin served from 1861 to 1865. He is considered among the most influential politicians from Maine.
A native of Paris, Maine, Hamlin managed his father's farm before becoming a newspaper editor. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1833, and began to practice in Hampden, Maine. Originally a Democrat, Hamlin began his political career with election to the Maine House of Representatives in 1835 and an appointment to the military staff of the Governor of Maine. As an officer in the militia, he took part in the 1839 negotiations that helped end the Aroostook War. Hamlin was elected twice to the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1843 to 1847. In 1848 the state house elected him to the United States Senate, where he served until January 1857. He served temporarily as governor of Maine for six weeks in the beginning of 1857, after which he returned to the Senate.