Abel P. Upshur
| Abel Parker Upshur | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 15th United States Secretary of State | |
|
In office July 24, 1843 – February 28, 1844 |
|
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
| Succeeded by | John C. Calhoun |
| 13th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
|
In office October 11, 1841 – July 23, 1843 |
|
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | George E. Badger |
| Succeeded by | David Henshaw |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 17, 1790 Northampton County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 1844 (aged 53) Potomac River |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Dennis Upshur (died 1817) Elizabeth Ann Brown Upshur |
| Alma mater |
Yale University Princeton University |
| Profession | Politician, lawyer |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Abel Parker Upshur (June 17, 1790 – February 28, 1844) was an American lawyer, judge and politician from Virginia. Upshur was active in Virginia state politics and later served as Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State during the administration of President John Tyler. Upshur was instrumental in negotiating the secret treaty that led to the 1845 annexation of Texas to the United States and played a key role in ensuring that Texas was admitted to the United States as a slave state. He was among six people killed on February 28, 1844, when a gun exploded during an official function on board the President's steam warship USS Princeton.
Upshur was born in Northampton County, Virginia, in 1790, one of 12 children. His father Littleton Upshur—described as a "staunch individualist and rabid Federalist"—owned the plantation Vaucluse, and was a member of the Virginia Legislature and a captain in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812.
Upshur attended Princeton University and Yale College; he was expelled from the former for participating in a student rebellion. He did not graduate, returning to Richmond, Virginia, to study law with a private firm. Upshur was admitted to the bar in 1810; he briefly set up practice in Baltimore, Maryland, but returned to Virginia after the death of his father. He developed a thriving law practice and became active in state politics.
Upshur married Elizabeth Dennis on February 26, 1817; she died in childbirth on November 28, 1817. He later remarried to his second cousin, Elizabeth Ann Brown (née Upshur); they had one daughter, Susan Parker Brown Upshur (1826-1858).
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