George Edmund Badger

George Badger
United States Senator from North Carolina
In office November 25, 1846 – March 3, 1855
Preceded by	William Haywood
Succeeded by	Asa Biggs
12th United States Secretary of the Navy
In office March 6, 1841 – September 11, 1841
President	William Henry Harrison John Tyler
Preceded by	James Paulding
Succeeded by	Abel Upshur
Personal details
Born	(1795-04-17)April 17, 1795 Federalist Whig
Spouse(s)	Rebecca Turner (1818–1824) Mary Brown Polk (1808-1835) Delia Haywood Williams (1836–1866)
Education	Yale University

George Edmund Badger (April 17, 1795 – May 11, 1866) was an American politician who served as a

Badger was born on April 17, 1795, in New Bern, North Carolina. He attended Yale College (where he was a member of Brothers in Unity) and received a partial college education that was terminated due to lack of funds; afterwards, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1814.

Career

Badger practiced law in North Carolina, was active in state politics, and served as a state superior court judge. A supporter of Andrew Jackson from the 1820s, he separated with him in the mid-1830s, became a leader of the Whig party and helped carry the Whigs to victory in the 1840 Presidential election.

Upon taking office, President William Henry Harrison appointed Badger as his Secretary of the Navy, and he continued in that post for a few months (until September 1841, when he resigned to resume private practice) when John Tyler succeeded to the Presidency upon Harrison's death (April 1841). Badger's brief term as Secretary was marked by efforts to strengthen the Navy in the face of tension with Great Britain, the establishment of the U.S. Home Squadron, and growing interest in steamships.

Badger resigned in September 1841, during a general cabinet shakeup. The resignation of several cabinet members, including Badger, resulted from Tyler's vetoing of two bills to create a new national bank, which the Whig party, led by

Badger's wealth grew throughout his political career; by 1860, he was worth an estimated $145,000 (~$4.01 million in 2023). He was a slave owner, enslaving twenty people.[3]^[4] He was a Unionist during the secession crisis but thereafter supported the Confederate war effort.

Death and legacy

Badger died in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1866.

Two Navy ships have been named in honor of Senator Badger:

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

External links

• United States Congress. "George Edmund Badger (id: B000022)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• George Edmund Badger entry at The Political Graveyard
• George Edmund Badger at Find a Grave
• George E. Badger at
  Naval Historical Center