In 1793, Porter was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in
Canandaigua, New York. From 1797 to 1804, he was Clerk of
Ontario County, and was a member of the
New York State Assembly (Ontario and Steuben Co.) in
1802. In the fall of 1809, Porter moved to
Black Rock, New York, later part of Buffalo, and became a member of the firm of
Porter, Barton & Company with his brother Augustus, which controlled transportation on the
Niagara River.
United States Congress In 1809, he was elected to the
United States House of Representatives as a
Democratic-Republican. He served in the
11th and
12th United States Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1813. During his service in Congress, he was a leading figure among Congressional "
war hawks" and Chairman of the Committee that recommended preparation for war with
Great Britain, and was known as an early supporter of
James Madison. Porter, along with
Henry Clay and others, pressured Madison to end the discussion and take up arms against England, in what became known as the
War of 1812.
War of 1812 While in Congress, Porter, realizing the level of America’s unpreparedness for war, pushed for greater numbers of soldiers and supplies. When his efforts fell on deaf ears, he instead offered his experience in trade to the military. Beginning in May 1812, he was served as assistant quartermaster general in the
New York State Militia. Porter later raised and commanded a brigade of New York militia that incorporated a
Six Nations Indian contingent and led his command with distinction. He brokered a deal with
Red Jacket, who agreed to provide 500 troops under Porter's command.
End of the War With the end of military operations, Porter went to Washington where he was given command of all American forces on the
Niagara Frontier by President Madison. When news of a
peace treaty arrived, he returned to civilian life and was declared a hero by his fellow citizens. In 1817, his political friends of
Tammany Hall printed ballots with his name and distributed them among their followers to vote for Porter for
Governor of New York at the
special election which was held after the resignation of Governor
Daniel D. Tompkins.
DeWitt Clinton, the otherwise unopposed candidate, was fiercely hated by the Tammany organization, and Porter received about 1,300 votes although he was not really running for the office. Porter became a regent of the
University of the State of New York in 1824, and served in that capacity until 1830. He was again a member of the State Assembly (Erie Co.) in
1828, but vacated his seat when he was appointed to the Cabinet.
Secretary of War From May 16, 1828, to March 9, 1829, Porter served as
U.S. Secretary of War under President
John Quincy Adams, and was an advocate for the removal of Eastern Indians beyond the Mississippi. He moved to
Niagara Falls in 1836 and was a
presidential elector on the
Whig ticket in 1840. ==Personal life==