John Slidell
| John Slidell | |
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United States Senator from Louisiana |
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In office December 5, 1853 – February 4, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | Pierre Soulé |
| Succeeded by | William P. Kellogg |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district |
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In office March 4, 1843 – November 10, 1845 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Douglass White, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Emile La Sére |
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1793 New York City, New York |
| Died | July 9, 1871 (aged 77–78) Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mathilde Deslonde Slidell |
| Children | Alfred Marie Matilda |
| Alma mater | Columbia College |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer, Merchant |
John Slidell (1793 – July 9, 1871) was an American politician, lawyer and businessman. A native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of Southern rights as a U.S. Representative and Senator. He was the older brother of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, a US naval officer.
He was born to the merchant John Slidell and the former Margery Mackenzie, a Scot. He graduated from Columbia University (then College) 1810. In 1835, Slidell married the former Mathilde Deslonde, and they had three children, Alfred Slidell, Marie Rosine (later [on 30 Sept. 1872] comtesse [Countess] de St. Roman), and Marguerite Mathilde (later [on 3 Oct. 1864] baronne [Baroness] Frederic Emile d'Erlanger).
Slidell was in the mercantile business in New York before he relocated to New Orleans. He practiced law in New Orleans from 1819-1843. He was the district attorney in New Orleans from 1829-1833. He also served in the state's House of Representatives from 1837-1838. Though he lost an election to the United States House in 1828, he was elected in 1842 and served a term and a half from 1843–1845, as a Democrat. He served as minister plenipotentiary to Mexico from 1845-1846.
Prior to the Mexican-American War, Slidell was sent to Mexico, by President James Knox Polk, to negotiate an agreement whereby the Rio Grande would be the southern border of Texas. He also was instructed to offer, among other alternatives, a maximum of $25 million for California by Polk and his administration. Slidell hinted to Polk that the Mexican reluctance to negotiate might require a show of military force by the United States. Under the guidance of General Zachary Taylor, U.S. troops were stationed at the U.S./Mexico border, ready to defend against Mexican attack. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission. After Mexican forces attacked at Matamoros, the United States declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846.
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