John Caldwell Calhoun
| John C. Calhoun | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 7th Vice President of the United States | |
|
In office March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832 |
|
| President |
John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Daniel D. Tompkins |
| Succeeded by | Martin Van Buren |
|
United States Senator from South Carolina |
|
|
In office November 26, 1845 – March 31, 1850 |
|
| Preceded by | Daniel Elliott Huger |
| Succeeded by | Franklin H. Elmore |
|
In office December 29, 1832 – March 4, 1843 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert Y. Hayne |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Elliott Huger |
| 16th United States Secretary of State | |
|
In office April 1, 1844 – March 10, 1845 |
|
| President |
John Tyler James K. Polk |
| Preceded by | Abel P. Upshur |
| Succeeded by | James Buchanan |
| 10th United States Secretary of War | |
|
In office December 8, 1817 – March 4, 1825 |
|
| President | James Monroe |
| Preceded by | William H. Crawford |
| Succeeded by | James Barbour |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 6th district |
|
|
In office March 4, 1811 – November 3, 1817 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph Calhoun |
| Succeeded by | Eldred Simkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Caldwell Calhoun March 18, 1782 Abbeville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 1850 (aged 68) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Philip's Church |
| Political party |
Democratic-Republican (Before 1828) Nullifier (1828–1839) Democratic (1839–1850) |
| Spouse(s) | Floride Bonneau (m. 1811) |
| Children | 10, including Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson |
| Parents |
Patrick Calhoun Martha Caldwell |
| Education |
Yale University Litchfield Law School |
| Signature |  |
John Caldwell Calhoun (/kælˈhuːn/; March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina, and the seventh Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He is remembered for strongly defending slavery and for advancing the concept of minority rights in politics, which he did in the context of defending white Southern interests from perceived Northern threats. He began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent of a strong national government and protective tariffs. By the late 1820s, his views reversed and he became a leading proponent of states' rights, limited government, nullification, and opposition to high tariffs—he saw Northern acceptance of these policies as the only way to keep the South in the Union. His beliefs and warnings heavily influenced the South's secession from the Union in 1860–1861.
Calhoun began his political career in the House of Representatives. As a prominent leader of the war hawk faction, Calhoun strongly supported the War of 1812 to defend American honor against British infractions of American independence and neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars. He then served as Secretary of War under President James Monroe, and in this position reorganized and modernized the War Department. Calhoun was a candidate for the presidency in the 1824 election. After failing to gain support, he let his name be put forth as a candidate for vice president. The Electoral College elected Calhoun for vice president by an overwhelming majority. He served under John Quincy Adams and continued under Andrew Jackson, who defeated Adams in the election of 1828.
...
Wikipedia