He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Pierpont Edwards. He became a lawyer active in Democratic politics, and was the United States Representative from Connecticut at-large, 1819-23, a United States Senator from Connecticut, 1823-27, a member of Connecticut state senate at-large, 1828-29, the Speaker of the Connecticut State House of Representatives, 1830, and Governor of Connecticut, 1833-34 and 1835-38. He died in New Haven, Connecticut, and was interred at Grove Street Cemetery.