James Wilkinson
| James Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 6th Senior Officer of the Army | |
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In office December 15, 1796 – July 13, 1798 |
|
| President |
George Washington John Adams |
| Preceded by | Anthony Wayne |
| Succeeded by | George Washington |
| 9th Senior Officer of the Army | |
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In office June 15, 1800 – January 27, 1812 |
|
| President |
John Adams Thomas Jefferson James Madison |
| Preceded by | Alexander Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Henry Dearborn |
| 1st Governor of Louisiana Territory | |
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In office 1805–1807 |
|
| President | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by |
William Henry Harrison Governor of the District of Louisiana |
| Succeeded by | Meriwether Lewis |
| U.S. Envoy to Mexico | |
|
In office 1816–1825 |
|
| Preceded by | John H. Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Joel Roberts Poinsett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 24, 1757 Charles County, Maryland |
| Died |
December 28, 1825 (aged 68) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Resting place | Iglesia de San Miguel Arcangel, Mexico City, Mexico |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | Seven |
| Profession | Military |
| Signature |  |
James Wilkinson (March 24, 1757 – December 28, 1825) was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies.
He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but he was twice compelled to resign. He was twice the Senior Officer of the U.S. Army, appointed to be the first Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1805, and commanded two unsuccessful campaigns in the St. Lawrence River theater during the War of 1812. After his death, he was discovered to have been a paid agent of the Spanish crown. Wilkinson's actions have since been severely condemned by a number of historians and politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt, who posited that "[I]n all our history, there is no more despicable character."
James Wilkinson was born about three miles (5 km) northeast of Benedict, Charles County, Maryland, on a farm south of Hunting Creek.
His grandfather had been sufficiently wealthy to buy a large property known as Stoakley Manor in Calvert County. The family felt that although their property was smaller, they still fell in with a higher social class. James grew up with the idea that "the image of respectability excused the reality of betrayal". His father, Joseph Wilkinson, inherited the property but, by that time, the family was in debt. In 1764, Stoakley Manor was broken up and sold. His older brother, Joseph, inherited the property after his father died and, as the second son, James was left with nothing.
Historian Andro Linklater argued that his upbringing led to James' aggressive reaction towards insults of his behavior. His father had left with the last words of "My son, if you ever put up with an insult, I will disinherit you." Wilkinson received his early education from a private tutor, funded by his grandmother; his study of medicine in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania was interrupted by the American Revolutionary War.
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Wikipedia