Albert Gallatin

Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (January 29, 1761–August 12, 1849) was an ethnologist, linguist, American politician, diplomat, and Secretary of the Treasury.

Political career

Almost immediately, Gallatin became active in Pennsylvania politics; he was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1789, and was elected to the state legislature in 1790. He won election to the United States Senate in 1793. However, he was disqualified, because of his length of citizenship, after he had already taken the Oath of Office. Entering the House of Representatives in 1795, serving in the fourth through sixth Congresses, he went on to become majority leader.

Related Topics:
1789 - 1790 - United States Senate - House of Representatives - 1795

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As party leader, Gallatin put a great deal of pressure on Treasury Secretary Oliver Wolcott Jr. to maintain fiscal responsibility. He also helped found the House Committee on Finance (which would evolve into the Ways and Means Committee) and often engineered withholding of finances by the House as a method of overriding executive actions to which he objected. Among these was the Quasi-War, of which he was a vociferous foe. His measures to withhold naval appropriations during this period were met with extreme animosity by the Federalists, who accused him of being a French spy. It was the opinion of Thomas Jefferson that the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed largely as a way to rein in Gallatin.

Related Topics:
Oliver Wolcott Jr. - Ways and Means Committee - Quasi-War - Federalist - French - Thomas Jefferson - Alien and Sedition Acts

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Jefferson became President, he appointed Gallatin Secretary of the Treasury. Gallatin served in that post for thirteen years, the longest term in history for that office. During the first part of his tenure he made great progress in balancing the federal budget. The United States was able to make the Louisiana Purchase without a tax increase in large part due to Gallatin's efforts. Gallatin also involved himself in the planning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, mapping out the area to be explored.

Related Topics:
Louisiana Purchase - Lewis and Clark Expedition

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later the increase in expenditures for the War of 1812 caused much of the progress Gallatin had made in balancing the budget to be set back. James Madison sent him in 1813 as the U.S. representative to a Russian-brokered peace talk, which Britain ultimately refused, preferring direct negotiations. Gallatin resigned as Secretary of the Treasury to head the U.S. delegation for these negotiations in France and was instrumental in the securing of the Treaty of Ghent, which brought the war to a close.

Related Topics:
War of 1812 - James Madison - Russia - Britain - Treaty of Ghent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the war's close Gallatin, preferring to remain in France, was appointed U.S. Minister to that country and remained in this post for another seven years. He returned to America in 1823 and was selected by the Democratic-Republican Party as its vice-presidential candidate, but was dissuaded by Martin Van Buren from accepting. He returned home to Pennsylvania where he stayed until 1826.

Related Topics:
1823 - Democratic-Republican Party - Martin Van Buren - 1826

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That year, John Quincy Adams appointed him minister to Great Britain, in which position he served to 1827, later returning and settling in New York City. Along with other prominent New Yorkers, he founded New York University in 1831, in order to offer university education to the lower and middle class. Gallatin also indulged an interest in the ethnology of Native Americans, publishing a treatise on the subject in 1836 and founding the American Ethnological Society in 1842. He also became president of the National Bank (which was later renamed Gallatin Bank). Gallatin died in Astoria on Long Island and is interred at Trinity Churchyard in New York City.

Related Topics:
John Quincy Adams - 1827 - New York City - New York University - 1831 - Native Americans - 1836 - 1842 - Astoria - Long Island - Trinity Churchyard

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~