Charles Bonaparte | |
---|---|
46th United States Attorney General | |
In office December 17, 1906 – March 4, 1909 | |
President | Theodore Roosevelt |
Preceded by | William Moody |
Succeeded by | George W. Wickersham |
37th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
In office July 1, 1905 – December 16, 1906 | |
President | Theodore Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Paul Morton |
Succeeded by | Victor H. Metcalf |
Personal details | |
Born | Charles Joseph Bonaparte June 9, 1851 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | June 28, 1921 Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 70)
Resting place | Loudon Park Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Ellen Channing Day (m. 1875) |
Relatives | Jérôme Napoléon Bonaparte (father) Susan May Williams (mother) See Bonaparte family |
Education | Harvard University (BA, LLB) |
Charles Joseph Bonaparte (/ˈboʊnəpɑːrt/ BOH-nə-part; June 9, 1851 – June 28, 1921) was an American lawyer and political activist for progressive and liberal causes. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he served in the cabinet of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt. He was a descendant of the House of Bonaparte: his grandfather was Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Emperor Napoleon.[1]
Bonaparte was the U.S. Secretary of the Navy and later the U.S. Attorney General.[2] During his tenure as Attorney General, he created the Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI).[3][4] Bonaparte was one of the founders, and for a time the president, of the National Municipal League. He was also a long-time activist for the rights of black residents of his native city of Baltimore.[5]
White Republican party leaders, including prominent Baltimore lawyer Charles J. Bonaparte, also played a role in rallying opposition to these proposals. Historian Jane L. Phelps noted Bonaparte's opposition to the Poe and Strauss Amendments in 1905 and 1908 (Phelps, "Charles J. Bonaparte and Negro Suffrage in Maryland.") <56>.