James McHenry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 3rd United States Secretary of War | |
| In office January 27, 1796 – May 13, 1800 | |
| President | George Washington John Adams |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pickering |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Dexter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 16, 1753 Ballymena, Ireland |
| Died | May 3, 1816 (aged 62) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Westminster Hall and Burying Ground |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse | Peggy Caldwell |
| Signature |  |
James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was a Scotch-Irish American military surgeon, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, initiated the recommendation for Congress to form the Navy, and was the eponym of Fort McHenry. He represented Maryland in the Continental Congress. He was a delegate to the Maryland State Convention of 1788, to vote whether Maryland should ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States.[1] He served as United States Secretary of War from 1796 to 1800, bridging the administrations of George Washington and John Adams. At the time of his death, McHenry owned 10 slaves, most of whom either worked as household servants or maintained his estate.[2][3][4]
- ^ Secretary of State of Maryland (1915). Maryland Manual 1914–1915: A Compendium of Legal, Historical and Statistical Information relating to the State of Maryland. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: The Advertiser-Republican.
- ^ Robbins, Karen (2003). "Power Among the Powerless: Domestic Resistance by Free and Slave Women in the McHenry Family of the New Republic". Journal of the Early Republic. 23 (1): 48–50. doi:10.2307/3124985. JSTOR 3124985. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "James McHenry—Fort McHenry's Namesake". nps.gov. Washington, DC: National Park Service. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Biographical Series: James McHenry". msa.maryland.gov. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 7 March 2023.