Isaac P. Christiancy

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Isaac Christiancy as painted by L.T. Ives
Isaac P. Christiancy (1812-1890) was an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1858-1875, and its Chief Justice from 1872 to 1874.

Christiancy resigned from Michigan's high court in 1875 to take up service as a U.S. Senator, where he served from March, 1875 – February, 1879.

Along with justices Thomas M. Cooley, James V. Campbell and Benjamin F. Graves, Christiancy was part of what has come to be known as the court's "Big Four" that is credited with shaping judicial philosophies in the areas of separation of powers and standing to sue.

Christiancy served as Monroe County's prosecuting attorney from 1841-1846 and then in Michigan's state senate in 1849 at a time when the abolition of slavery was becoming a more prominent concern. He was an ardent abolitionist and was instrumental in forming the Republican Party in Michigan.

During his tenure as a U.S. Senator, Christiancy entered into an unhappy marriage. Rutherford B. Hayes appointed him Minister to Peru in 1879. On his return, he filed for divorce and spent the rest of his life in Lansing, practicing law.

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