Jacob Crowninshield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1803 – April 15, 1808 | |
| Preceded by | William Shepard |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Story |
| Member of theMassachusetts Senate | |
| In office 1801 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1770-03-31)March 31, 1770 |
| Died | April 15, 1808(1808-04-15) (aged 38) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Harmony Grove Cemetery,Salem, Massachusetts |
| Party | Democratic-Republican |
| Relations | Benjamin Williams Crowninshield,Arent S. Crowninshield |
| Children | Sarah Crowninshield |
Jacob Crowninshield (March 31, 1770 – April 15, 1808) was an American politician who served as aU.S. representative fromMassachusetts and was an appointee to the position ofU.S. secretary of the Navy, which he never filled. His brotherBenjamin Williams Crowninshield did successfully hold the post; theCrowninshield family in general was prominent in early American maritime affairs. He was the grandfather ofArent S. Crowninshield.
Jacob Crowninshield was born March 31, 1770, inSalem in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay. As a young man, he went into partnership with three of his brothers commanding trade ships between the United States andIndia.[1][2]
In 1796, Crowninshield married Sarah Gardner, daughter of John (a direct descendant of anold planter) and Sarah (Derby, daughter of Richard (1712–1783)). Their daughter Sarah later married the Salem merchantRichard Saltonstall Rogers.[3]
Crowninshield was an unsuccessful candidate for election to Congress in 1798, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofDwight Foster, but was elected to theMassachusetts Senate in 1801.
In November 1802, he was elected as aDemocratic-Republican to Congress and served in the8th,9th and10th Congresses. During the 9th Congress, he was chairman of theUnited States House Committee on Commerce and Manufactures. He died oftuberculosis inWashington, D.C., on April 15, 1808, near the end of his third term. Crowninshield was 38 years old at the time of his death.
In 1805, Crowninshield was nominated to the position ofU.S. Secretary of the Navy by PresidentThomas Jefferson, and was confirmed by the Senate, but he declined to take up the position for health reasons,[4] and continued to serve in Congress.[1][5]
Crowninshield is buried inHarmony Grove Cemetery in his hometown of Salem.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1803 – April 15, 1808 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
| Commerce and Manufactures (1795–1819) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce (1819–1893) | ||
| Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1893–1981) | ||
| Energy and Commerce (1981–present) | ||
