Abel P. Upshur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abel Upshur
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| 15th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office July 24, 1843 – February 28, 1844 Ad interim: June 24, 1843 – July 24, 1843 |
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| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
| Succeeded by | John C. Calhoun |
| 13th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office October 11, 1841 – July 23, 1843 |
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| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | George Badger |
| Succeeded by | David Henshaw |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Northampton County, Virginia district |
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| In office November 29, 1824 – 1826 Serving with William Dunton and John Stratton
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| Preceded by | Smith Nottingham |
| Succeeded by | William Dunton |
| In office November 30, 1812 – May 16, 1813 Serving with George T. Kendall
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| Preceded by | William Dunton |
| Succeeded by | John C. Parramore |
| Personal details | |
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Abel Parker Upshur
June 17, 1790 Northampton County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 1844 (aged 53) Potomac River, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouses | Elizabeth Dennis (Deceased 1817) Elizabeth Brown |
| Education | Yale University College of New Jersey (renamed Princeton) |
Abel Parker Upshur (June 17, 1790 – February 28, 1844) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. He came from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Upshur served as the United States Secretary of the Navy and later as United States Secretary of State under President John Tyler.
He played a key role in the treaty that led to Texas joining the United States in 1845. He also worked to make sure Texas became a state where slavery was allowed. Upshur died on February 28, 1844. This happened when a large gun on the warship USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration.
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Early Life and Education
Abel Upshur was born in Northampton County, Virginia, in 1790. He was one of 12 children. His father, Littleton Upshur, was a politician who served in the Virginia government. Abel's brother, George P. Upshur, became a respected officer in the U.S. Navy.
Abel received his early education from private teachers at home. He then attended Princeton University and Yale University. However, he was expelled from Princeton for being part of a student protest. He did not graduate from either university. Instead, he went to Richmond, Virginia, to study law with a well-known lawyer named William Wirt.
Family Life
Abel Upshur first married Elizabeth Dennis in 1817. Sadly, she died later that year during childbirth. He then married his second cousin, Elizabeth Ann Brown. They had one daughter together, named Susan Parker Brown Upshur.
Law and Politics in Virginia
Upshur became a lawyer in Virginia in 1810. He briefly practiced law in Baltimore, Maryland. After his father passed away, he returned to Virginia. He managed his family's plantation, called Vaucluse. Enslaved people worked on this plantation, as was common at the time. He also built a successful law practice.
Upshur became active in Virginia politics.
- In 1812, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, which is part of the state's legislature.
- He served as the Commonwealth's Attorney for Richmond from 1816 to 1823.
- He tried to get elected to the United States Congress but was not successful.
- In 1826, he became a judge for the Virginia General Court.
Throughout his career, Upshur strongly supported states' rights. This was the idea that individual states should have more power than the federal government. He also defended the right of states to allow slavery. In 1829, he was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830. There, he spoke against making government more democratic. He believed that only certain people should have the right to vote.
Upshur was first a Federalist. Then he joined the Jacksonian Democrats. But he changed parties again and became a Whig. This happened after President Andrew Jackson did not support South Carolina's attempt to ignore federal laws.
In 1841, President John Tyler appointed his friend Abel Upshur as the 13th United States Secretary of the Navy. Upshur worked to improve and modernize the Navy.
- He changed how the Navy was organized.
- He helped increase funding for the Navy.
- He pushed for building new sailing ships and steam-powered warships.
- He helped create the United States Naval Observatory, which studies stars and helps with navigation.
Upshur believed the U.S. Navy should be very strong. He wanted it to be at least half the size of the British Royal Navy, which was the largest in the world.
Secretary of State
In July 1843, President Tyler appointed Upshur as United States Secretary of State. This is the top diplomat for the country. His main goal was to bring the Republic of Texas into the United States. He worked closely with the Texas ambassador on a treaty for annexation. He also worked on negotiations about the Oregon boundary dispute with Great Britain. He wanted the Oregon Country to become part of the U.S.
Death on the USS Princeton
On February 28, 1844, Abel Upshur was on a new steamship called the USS Princeton. He was with President Tyler and about 400 other important people. They were sailing down the Potomac River. During a demonstration of the ship's large gun, the gun exploded.
Upshur, along with the new Secretary of the Navy and four other passengers, died in the explosion. Many others were injured. Upshur was first buried in Washington, D.C. Later, his remains were moved to Oak Hill Cemetery.
Legacy
Several things have been named in honor of Abel Upshur:
- The destroyer ship USS Abel P. Upshur was named after him.
- Upshur County, West Virginia
- Upshur County, Texas
- Upshur Street in Washington, DC, Arlington, Virginia, and Portland, Oregon.
- Mount Upshur, a mountain peak on the border between Alaska and British Columbia.
See also
In Spanish: Abel P. Upshur para niños
