Henry Shelton Sanford

Henry Shelton Sanford
Henry S. Sanford in c. 1865
United States Ambassador to Belgium
In office
1861–1869
PresidentAbraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Preceded byElisha Y. Fair
Succeeded byJoseph Russell Jones
Personal details
Born
Henry Shelton Sanford

(1823-06-15)June 15, 1823
Woodbury, Connecticut
DiedMay 21, 1891(1891-05-21) (aged 67)
Healing Springs, Virginia
Political partyRepublican
RelationsNehemiah Curtis Sanford – father
Alma materCheshire Academy
Trinity College
Heidelberg University
ProfessionDiplomat, businessman, founder of Sanford, Florida

Henry Shelton Sanford (June 15, 1823 – May 21, 1891) was an American diplomat and businessman from Connecticut who served as United States Minister to Belgium from 1861 to 1869. He is also known for founding the city of Sanford, Florida[1] and for successfully lobbying the United States into recognizing King Leopold II's claim to the Congo region in central Africa, the area that would become Leopold's privately controlled Congo Free State.

  1. ^ "Mr. Sanford's Services". The New York Times. November 6, 1877. Retrieved August 21, 2010.