William Appleton (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Appleton
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts |
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| In office March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel Atkins Eliot |
| Succeeded by | Anson Burlingame |
| Constituency | 1st district (1851–53) 5th district (1853–55) |
| In office March 4, 1861 – September 27, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | Anson Burlingame |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Hooper |
| Constituency | 5th district |
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| Born | November 16, 1786 Brookfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | February 15, 1862 (aged 75) Longwood, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig Constitutional Union |
| Spouse | Mary Ann Cutler |
| Profession | Politician, Banker, Merchant |
William Appleton (November 16, 1786 – February 15, 1862) was an important American businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He was a successful trader, ship owner, and banker. He also served as a U.S. Representative, which means he was a member of Congress for Massachusetts. He held this position from 1851 to 1855, and again from 1861 to 1862.
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Early Life of William Appleton
William Appleton was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts. His father was a minister, but he passed away when William was only nine years old.
William went to schools in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, Francestown, New Hampshire, and Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. When he was fifteen, he started working at a local store in Temple, New Hampshire. Three years later, the store owner made him a partner in the business. However, a year after that, William decided to move to Boston, Massachusetts.
William Appleton's Career
In Boston, William worked for a store that traded goods with the West Indies. In 1807, he started his own business. Two years later, in 1809, he bought his first ship. He made several successful trading trips to Europe.
After the War of 1812, William made his shipping business even bigger. He became one of the richest people in Boston. In 1818, he bought shares in the Suffolk Bank, an important bank in Boston.
In 1826, William decided to retire from his main business activities. However, he still kept an office to manage his finances. In 1832, he became the president of the Boston branch of the Second Bank of the United States. This was a very important national bank at the time. He served there until 1836. He also led the Provident Institution for Savings, which was a savings bank.
In 1841, William started a new company called William Appleton and Company. He partnered with his son James and another businessman named Samuel Hooper. They focused on shipping and trading. They traded goods like hides from California and other products with China. William fully retired from this company in 1859.
William Appleton was also known for being very generous. He gave a lot of money to public causes. He was the president of Massachusetts General Hospital, and he donated a large sum of money to it.
William Appleton's Political Journey
In 1850, William Appleton was elected as a U.S. Representative for Massachusetts. He belonged to the Whig Party at that time. He was re-elected in 1852.
In 1860, he was elected again as a Representative. This time, he was part of the Constitutional Union Party. He started his new term in 1861, but he resigned in September of that year. He had to leave his position because his health was failing.
William Appleton passed away five months after resigning, on February 15, 1862. He was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
William Appleton's Family Life
William Appleton was married to Mary Ann Cutler. They had several children together. Mary Ann's grandfather was James Sullivan, who was the Governor of Massachusetts.
Some of William and Mary Ann's children included:
- William Sullivan Appleton (1815–1836)
- James Amory Appleton (1818–1843)
- Sarah Elizabeth Appleton (1822–1891), who married Amos Adams Lawrence
- Francis Henry Appleton (1823–1854)
- William Joseph Warren Appleton (1825–1877)
- Harriet Cutler Appleton (1828–1857)
- Hetty Sullivan Appleton (1831–1901), who married Thomas Jefferson Coolidge
- Charles Hook Appleton (1833–1874)
William Appleton's personal diaries were published in 1922. They were titled Selections from the diaries of William Appleton, 1786-1862. William was also related to other notable people. He was a first cousin to Nathan Appleton, who was also a U.S. Representative. William even worked as a treasurer for Nathan's Appleton Mills.
