John C. Breckinridge
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| John C. Breckinridge | |
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| Name | John C. Breckinridge |
| Caption | John C. Breckinridge, c. 1860 |
| Office | Vice President of the United States |
| President | James Buchanan |
| Term start | March 4, 1857 |
| Term end | March 4, 1861 |
| Predecessor | William R. King |
| Successor | Hannibal Hamlin |
| Office1 | United States Senator from Kentucky |
| Term start1 | March 4, 1861 |
| Term end1 | December 4, 1861 |
| Predecessor1 | John J. Crittenden |
| Successor1 | Garrett Davis |
| Office2 | Confederate States Secretary of War |
| President2 | Jefferson Davis |
| Term start2 | February 6, 1865 |
| Term end2 | May 10, 1865 |
| Predecessor2 | James Seddon |
| Successor2 | Office abolished |
| Birth date | 16 January 1821 |
| Birth place | Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Death date | 17 May 1875 |
| Death place | Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Cyrene Burch, 1843 |
| Children | 5, including Clifton R. Breckinridge |
| Alma mater | Centre College, Princeton University |
| Allegiance | United States, Confederate States |
| Branch | United States Army, Confederate States Army |
| Serviceyears | 1847–1848 (U.S.), 1861–1865 (C.S.) |
| Rank | Major (U.S.), Major General (C.S.) |
| Battles | Mexican–American War, American Civil War |
John C. Breckinridge was a prominent American politician, soldier, and lawyer who served as the 14th Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the youngest person to ever hold the vice presidency. His career was defined by the sectional crisis, culminating in his service as a Major General in the Confederate States Army and as the final Confederate States Secretary of War under Jefferson Davis.
Early life and education
Born at Thorn Hill estate near Lexington, Kentucky, he was a member of the prominent Breckinridge family. He was the grandson of John Breckinridge, who served as a United States Senator and United States Attorney General. After early education at Pisgah Academy in Woodford County, Kentucky, he attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, graduating in 1839. He then studied law at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and under Judge William Owsley before being admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1840.
Political career
Breckinridge began his political career in the Kentucky House of Representatives, serving from 1849 to 1851. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1851, representing Kentucky's 8th congressional district. A staunch States' rights Democrat and protégé of Henry Clay, he gained national attention for his oratory. He declined renomination to Congress in 1855 but played a key role at the 1856 Democratic National Convention in Cincinnati, helping to secure the nomination for James Buchanan.
U.S. Vice Presidency
Elected on the ticket with Buchanan in 1856, he assumed office at age 36. His tenure was dominated by the escalating national conflict over slavery and popular sovereignty. He presided over the United States Senate during the contentious debates following the Dred Scott decision and the crisis over the Lecompton Constitution for Kansas Territory. In 1859, he was nominated by the Southern Democratic Party for president, losing the 1860 election to Abraham Lincoln.
Confederate service
After Kentucky declared neutrality, he was expelled from the United States Senate for joining the Confederate States Army. Commissioned a brigadier general, he commanded the First Kentucky Brigade ("Orphan Brigade"). He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Stones River, and the Battle of Chickamauga. Promoted to major general, he led a division at the Battle of New Market and played a significant role in the Shenandoah Valley campaigns of 1864, including the Battle of Cold Harbor. In early 1865, Jefferson Davis appointed him Confederate States Secretary of War.
Later life and death
Following the collapse of the Confederacy, he fled the country, traveling through Florida and Cuba before reaching Great Britain. He lived in exile in Toronto, Canada West, and later traveled in Europe. After receiving a pardon in 1868 via the general amnesty, he returned to Lexington, Kentucky in 1869. He resumed his legal practice and became a railroad executive, serving as vice president of the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad. He died in 1875 from complications of cirrhosis and was interred in Lexington Cemetery.
Category:1821 births Category:1875 deaths Category:Vice presidents of the United States Category:Confederate States Secretaries of War Category:People of Kentucky in the American Civil War