William L. Marcy

William Marcy
Marcy c. 1856
21st United States Secretary of State
In office
March 7, 1853 – March 6, 1857
PresidentFranklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Preceded byEdward Everett
Succeeded byLewis Cass
20th United States Secretary of War
In office
March 6, 1845 – March 4, 1849
PresidentJames K. Polk
Preceded byWilliam Wilkins
Succeeded byGeorge W. Crawford
11th Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1833 – December 31, 1838
LieutenantJohn Tracy
Preceded byEnos T. Throop
Succeeded byWilliam H. Seward
United States Senator
from New York
In office
March 4, 1831 – January 1, 1833
Preceded byNathan Sanford
Succeeded bySilas Wright
8th Comptroller of New York
In office
February 13, 1823 – January 21, 1829
GovernorJoseph C. Yates
DeWitt Clinton
Nathaniel Pitcher
Martin Van Buren
Preceded byJohn Savage
Succeeded bySilas Wright
Personal details
Born
William Learned Marcy

(1786-12-12)December 12, 1786
Southbridge, Massachusetts
DiedJuly 4, 1857(1857-07-04) (aged 70)
Ballston Spa, New York, U.S.
Resting placeAlbany Rural Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic-Republican (before 1825)
Democratic (after 1825)
Spouse(s)Dolly Newell
Cornelia Knower
Children3
EducationBrown University (BA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceNew York State Militia
Years of service1812–1823
RankBrigadier General
CommandsAdjutant General of New York
Battles/warsWar of 1812

William Learned Marcy (December 12, 1786 – July 4, 1857) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served as U.S. Senator, Governor of New York, U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State. In the latter office, he negotiated the Gadsden Purchase, the last major acquisition of land in the contiguous United States.

Born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Marcy established a legal practice in Troy, New York, after graduating from Brown University. He fought in the War of 1812, as an ensign, first lieutenant and captain in the 155th New York Infantry Regiment. Politically, he aligned with the Bucktail faction of the Democratic-Republican Party[1] and became a leading member of the Albany Regency. As the Democratic-Republicans fractured in the 1820s, he became a member of the Democratic Party. Between 1821 and 1831, he successively served as Adjutant General of New York, New York State Comptroller, and as an associate justice of the New York Supreme Court. In 1831, the New York legislature elected Marcy to the U.S. Senate, and he held that position until 1833, when he became the Governor of New York. He served three terms as governor until his defeat in 1838 by the Whig nominee, William Seward.

He served as Secretary of War under James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849,[1] overseeing the Mexican–American War. After leaving the Polk administration, he resumed the practice of law and became a leader of the "Soft" Hunker faction of the New York Democratic Party. He returned to the Cabinet in 1853, serving as Secretary of State under Franklin Pierce. In this role, he resolved a dispute about the status of U.S. immigrants abroad and directed U.S. diplomats to dress in the plain style of an ordinary American rather than the court-dress many had adopted from Europe. He also negotiated a reciprocity treaty with British North America and the 30,000-square-mile (78,000 km2) Gadsden purchase with Mexico, acquiring territory in present-day Arizona and New Mexico. He left office in 1857 and died shortly thereafter.

  1. ^ a b Chisholm 1911, p. 696.