William Dayton | |
|---|---|
 Dayton circa 1856 | |
| United States Minister to France | |
| In office May 19, 1861 – December 1, 1864 | |
| President | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | Charles J. Faulkner |
| Succeeded by | John Bigelow |
| 21stAttorney General of New Jersey | |
| In office January 20, 1857 – March 18, 1861 | |
| Governor | William A. Newell Charles Smith Olden |
| Preceded by | Richard Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Frelinghuysen |
| United States Senator fromNew Jersey | |
| In office July 2, 1842 – March 3, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel L. Southard |
| Succeeded by | Robert F. Stockton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Lewis Dayton (1807-02-17)February 17, 1807 |
| Died | December 1, 1864(1864-12-01) (aged 57) Paris, France |
| Political party | Whig (Before 1854) Republican (1854–1864) |
| Spouse | Margaret Dayton |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
William Lewis Dayton (February 17, 1807 – December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in theWhig Party and later in theRepublican Party. In the1856 presidential election, he became the first Republican vice-presidential nominee when nominated alongsideJohn C. Frémont. The Republican Party lost that campaign. During theAmerican Civil War, Dayton served as theUnited States Ambassador to France, a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of theConfederate States of America.
Dayton was born in theBasking Ridge ofBernards Township, New Jersey, to farmer Joel Dayton and Nancy (Lewis) Dayton. His father worked as a farmer and mechanic, and was not well off, but the extended Dayton family was long prominent in New Jersey. William L. Dayton was the grand-nephew ofElias Dayton and second cousin ofJonathan Dayton. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (nowPrinceton University) in 1825. He thenstudied law withPeter Dumont Vroom, wasadmitted to the bar in 1830, and became an attorney inFreehold Township, New Jersey.
In 1837, Dayton was elected to theNew Jersey Legislative Council, and he became an associate judge of theNew Jersey Supreme Court in 1838. Following the death of U.S. SenatorSamuel L. Southard, he was appointed to theUnited States Senate starting July 2, 1842, and elected to finish the term ending in 1845. As a Senator, Dayton opposed attempts at tariff reduction, arguing it would harm farmers and businesses if enacted.[1] Although he found negotiations for Oregon territory "agreeable," Dayton condemned the annexation of Texas as an attempt to spread slavery and regarded theMexican-American War as dishonorable.[1] Following the conflict's conclusion, Dayton supported theWilmot Proviso and voted against the1850 Compromise, believing it conceded too much to pro-slavery interests.[1] He was re-elected by theNew Jersey Legislature as aWhig in 1845 but lost in 1851, ending his service on March 3, 1851.
In 1856, Dayton was selected by the nascentRepublican Party as their first nominee forVice President of the United States overAbraham Lincoln at the Philadelphia Convention. He and his running mate,John C. Fremont, lost to theDemocratic ticket ofJames Buchanan andJohn C. Breckinridge. Afterwards, he served asNew Jersey Attorney General until 1861, when his former rival,President Lincoln appointed himMinister to France. He served from May 1861 until his death in December 1864. His service spanned most of theAmerican Civil War, and Dayton served a key role in preventingFrench intervention in the War.
In France, Dayton was part of a successful lobbying campaign to prevent the government ofNapoleon III from recognizing the independence of theConfederacy or allowing Confederate use of French ports.
Dayton died in Paris and was buried inRiverview Cemetery,Trenton, New Jersey.[2]
His son,William Lewis Dayton Jr., graduated from Princeton in 1858 and served as PresidentChester A. Arthur'sAmbassador to the Netherlands from 1882–1885.
Later, the town ofDayton, New Jersey, was named in his honor.[3] Dayton Street in Trenton, New Jersey, also memorializes him.[4]
In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. ...
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey 1842–1851 Served alongside:Jacob W. Miller | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Public Buildings Committee 1842–1845 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| New political party | Republicannominee forVice President of the United States 1856 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of New Jersey 1857–1861 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Minister to France 1861–1864 | Succeeded by |
| Public Buildings (1838–1857) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Buildings and Grounds (1857–1947) | ||
| Public Works (1947–1977) | ||
| Environment and Public Works (1977–present) | ||
| Envoys to France (1776–1779) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ministers Plenipotentiary to France (1778–1815) | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to France (1816–1893) | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France (1893–present) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
