Pierre Soulé
| Pierre Soulé | |
|---|---|
 |
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| United States Minister to Spain | |
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In office April 7, 1853 – February 1, 1855 |
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| President | Zachary Taylor |
| Preceded by | Romulus M. Saunders |
| Succeeded by | John C. Breckinridge |
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United States Senator from Louisiana |
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In office March 3, 1849 – April 11, 1853 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Johnson |
| Succeeded by | John Slidell |
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In office January 21, 1847 – March 3, 1847 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Barrow |
| Succeeded by | Solomon W. Downs |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 31, 1801 Castillon-en-Couserans, France |
| Died | March 26, 1870 (aged 68) New Orleans, Louisiana, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Henrietta Armantine Mercier |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
Pierre Soulé (August 31, 1801 – March 26, 1870) was an attorney, politician and diplomat from Louisiana during the mid-19th century. Serving as a United States Senator from 1849 to 1853, he resigned to accept appointment as U.S. Minister to Spain, a post he held until 1855.
He is likely best known for his role in writing the 1854 Ostend Manifesto, part of an attempt by Southern slaveholders to gain support for the US to annex Cuba to the United States. Some Southern planters wanted to expand their territory to the Caribbean and into Central America. The Manifesto was roundly denounced, especially by anti-slavery elements, and Soulé was personally criticized.
Born and raised in France, Soulé was exiled for revolutionary activities. He moved to Great Britain and then the United States, where he settled in New Orleans and became an attorney, later entering politics.
Pierre Soulé was born in 1801 Castillon-en-Couserans, a village in the French Pyrénées. He was exiled from France as a young man for revolutionary activities, allowed to return, then imprisoned several years later for his continued opposition to the government.
In 1825 Soulé escaped prison, and fled first to Great Britain, then to Haiti, and finally to the U.S. He settled in New Orleans and became a lawyer.
In 1847, Soulé sat briefly in the United States Senate as a Democrat elected by the state legislature. He was returned to the Senate for a full term, serving from 1849 to 1853. He resigned to take an appointment as U.S. Minister to Spain, a post he held until 1855.
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