Lawrence Kearny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey | |
| In office 1848–1849 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 30, 1789 Perth Amboy, New Jersey |
| Died | November 29, 1868 (aged 78) Perth Amboy, New Jersey |
| Signature |  |
Commodore Lawrence Kearny (30 November 1789 – 29 November 1868) was an officer in the United States Navy during the early nineteenth century. In the early 1840s he began negotiations with China which opened that country to U.S. trade and pointed the way toward the American Open Door Policy a half century later. He was Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey in 1848.[1]
- ^ "Lawrence Kearny". New Jersey Historical Society. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
Lawrence Kearny, the son of Elizabeth Lawrence and Michael Kearny, was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey in 1789. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1807 as a midshipman, and in 1809, he served aboard the United States Ships Constitution, and President. In 1810, Kearny was transferred to the Enterprise and was on that ship at the beginning of the War of 1812. In August 1812, Kearny requested a transfer to the Constitution, but instead was given command of the schooner Caroline, and a year later was promoted to lieutenant. Kearny commanded the Ferret and the Nonsuch for the rest of the War of 1812. Shortly before the war was over in 1815 Kearny gained recognition for capturing a British ship. ...