Abel P. Upshur

Abel P. Upshur was an American lawyer, judge, and statesman who served as a prominent member of the John Tyler administration. A staunch defender of states' rights and the institution of slavery, he held the cabinet positions of Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State during a critical period of national expansion. His tenure was cut short by his dramatic death in the explosion aboard the USS ''Princeton'', an event that shocked the Washington, D.C. political establishment.

Early life and education

Abel Parker Upshur was born on June 17, 1790, at Vaucluse plantation in Northampton County, Virginia, into a prominent Tidewater family. He was educated at Princeton College and later Yale College, though he did not graduate from either institution, instead choosing to study law. He read law under the tutelage of William Wirt, a future United States Attorney General, in Richmond, Virginia, and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1810. His early career was briefly interrupted by service as a volunteer in the War of 1812.

Legal and political career

Upshur established a successful legal practice in Richmond, Virginia, and became deeply involved in Virginia politics as a conservative Democrat. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and developed a reputation as a formidable constitutional thinker and ardent supporter of slavery. In 1826, he was appointed as a judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, a position he held for fifteen years. During this period, he authored a influential treatise, "A Brief Enquiry into the True Nature and Character of our Federal Government," which championed a strict states' rights interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and the doctrine of nullification.

Secretary of the Navy

In October 1841, President John Tyler, seeking loyal Southern advisers, appointed Upshur as the Secretary of the Navy. As secretary, Upshur was a strong advocate for modernizing the United States Navy. He championed the transition from sail to steam power and oversaw the construction of the USS ''Princeton'', the U.S. Navy's first propeller-driven warship. He also emphasized the importance of a professional officer corps through reforms at the Naval School, the precursor to the United States Naval Academy.

Secretary of State

Upshur succeeded Daniel Webster as Secretary of State in July 1843. His brief tenure was dominated by the goal of annexing the Republic of Texas. He conducted secret negotiations with the Texas minister, Isaac Van Zandt, crafting a treaty that would bring Texas into the Union as a slave state. Upshur worked diligently to build support for annexation in the U.S. Senate and to assure wary Texans of American military protection against potential aggression from Mexico.

Death and legacy

On February 28, 1844, Upshur was killed instantly during a ceremonial cruise of the Potomac River aboard the USS ''Princeton'' when a massive naval gun, the "Peacemaker," exploded. The disaster also killed the Secretary of the Treasury, Thomas Walker Gilmer, and several other prominent guests. Upshur was temporarily interred at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., before being re-interred at the Vaucluse family cemetery in Virginia. His death delayed the Texas annexation process, which was ultimately completed by his successor, John C. Calhoun. Upshur is remembered as a capable administrator and a determined, intellectually rigorous defender of Southern interests during the antebellum period.

Category:1790 births Category:1844 deaths Category:United States Secretaries of State Category:United States Secretaries of the Navy Category:People from Northampton County, Virginia Category:American slave owners