William L. Dayton
William Dayton | |
|---|---|
Frederick Frelinghuysen | |
| United States Senator from New Jersey | |
| In office July 2, 1842 – March 3, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel L. Southard |
| Succeeded by | Robert F. Stockton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Lewis Dayton February 17, 1807 Basking Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 1864 (aged 57) Paris, France |
| Political party | Whig (Before 1854) Republican (1854–1864) |
| Spouse | Margaret Dayton |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
William Lewis Dayton (February 17, 1807 – December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in the
United States Ambassador to France, a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of the Confederate States of America
.
Early life
Dayton was born in the
Peter Dumont Vroom, was admitted to the bar in 1830, and became an attorney in Freehold Township, New Jersey
.
Political career
In 1837, Dayton was elected to the
New Jersey Supreme Court in 1838. Following the death of U.S. Senator Samuel L. Southard, he was appointed to the United States Senate starting July 2, 1842, and elected to finish the term ending in 1845. As a Senator, Dayton opposed attempts at tariff reduction, arguing it would harm farmers and businesses if enacted.[1] Although he found negotiations for Oregon territory "agreeable," Dayton condemned the annexation of Texas as an attempt to spread slavery and regarded the Mexican-American War as dishonorable.[1] Following the conflict's conclusion, Dayton supported the Wilmot Proviso and voted against the 1850 Compromise, believing it conceded too much to pro-slavery interests.[1] He was re-elected by the New Jersey Legislature as a Whig
in 1845 but lost in 1851, ending his service on March 3, 1851.
Minister to France. He served from May 1861 until his death in December 1864. His service spanned most of the American Civil War, and Dayton served a key role in preventing French intervention
in the War.
Ambassador
In France, Dayton was part of a successful lobbying campaign to prevent the government of Napoleon III from recognizing the independence of the Confederacy or allowing Confederate use of French ports.
Dayton died in Paris and was buried in
Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey.[2]
Legacy
His son,
Ambassador to the Netherlands
from 1882–1885.
Later, the town of Dayton, New Jersey, was named in his honor.[3] Dayton Street in Trenton, New Jersey, also memorializes him.[4]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780899501093.
- ^ James, George. "He's Looked at Life From Both Sides Now", The New York Times, "Buried here too is William Lewis Dayton, the first Republican vice presidential candidate who defeated Lincoln for the position in 1856 but lost the presidential nomination to him in 1860." February 20, 2000. Accessed December 29, 2007.
- ^ "South Brunswick Township History". Retrieved November 9, 2012.
In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. ...
- ^ "How Streets of Trenton Obtained Present Names". Trenton Historical Society. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
Further reading
- Republican Campaign Edition for the Million. Containing the Republican Platform, the Lives of Fremont and Dayton, with Beautiful Steel Portraits of Each, 1856 (Boston: John P. Jewett), via Illinois Historical Digitization Projects of the Northern Illinois University Libraries
External links
- Biographical Dictionary of the U.S. Congress
- Photograph of William Lewis Dayton
- William L. Dayton Papers Archived 2005-07-25 at the Wayback Machine at the Princeton University Library
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