Abel P. Upshur
Abel P. Upshur | |
|---|---|
Posthumous portrait, c. 1892 | |
| 15th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office July 24, 1843 – February 28, 1844 Ad interim: June 24, 1843 – July 24, 1843 | |
| 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 Badger |
| Succeeded by | David Henshaw |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Northampton County, Virginia district | |
| In office November 29, 1824 – 1826 Serving with William Dunton and John Stratton | |
| Preceded by | Smith Nottingham |
| Succeeded by | William Dunton |
| In office November 30, 1812 – May 16, 1813 Serving with George T. Kendall | |
| Preceded by | William Dunton |
| Succeeded by | John C. Parramore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abel Parker Upshur June 17, 1790 |
| Died | February 28, 1844 (aged 53) Potomac River, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cause of death | USS Princeton disaster |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Whig |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Dennis
(m. 1817; died 1817)Elizabeth Brown |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | George P. Upshur (Brother) |
| Education | Yale University College of New Jersey (renamed Princeton) |
| Profession |
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Abel Parker Upshur (June 17, 1790 – February 28, 1844) was an American lawyer, planter, judge, and politician from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Active in Virginia state politics for decades, with a brother and a nephew who became distinguished U.S. Navy officers, Judge Upshur left the Virginia bench to become the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State during the administration of President John Tyler, a fellow Virginian. He negotiated the treaty that led to the 1845 Texas annexation to the United States and helped ensure that it was admitted as a slave state. Upshur died on February 28, 1844, when a gun on the warship USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration.