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{{Short description|American politician (1807–1864)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = William Dayton
|name = William Dayton
|image = William L. Dayton.jpg
|image = William L. Dayton.jpg
|caption = Dayton circa 1856
|office = [[United States Ambassador to France|United States Minister to France]]
|office = [[United States Ambassador to France|United States Minister to France]]
|president = [[Abraham Lincoln]]
|president = [[Abraham Lincoln]]
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|birth_date = {{birth date|1807|2|17}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|1807|2|17}}
|birth_place = [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey]], U.S.
|birth_place = [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|1864|12|1|1807|2|17}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1864|12|1|1807|2|17}}
|death_place = [[Paris]], [[France]]
|death_place = [[Paris]], [[France]]
|party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] (Before 1854)<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1854–1864)
|party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] (Before 1854)<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1854–1864)
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|education = [[Princeton University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|education = [[Princeton University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
}}
}}
'''William Lewis Dayton''' (February 17, 1807{{spaced ndash}}December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]] and later in the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. In the [[United States presidential election, 1856|1856 presidential election]], he became the first Republican vice-presidential nominee when nominated alongside [[John C. Frémont]]. The Republican Party lost that campaign. During the [[American Civil War]], Dayton served as the [[United States Ambassador to France]], a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of the Confederacy.
'''William Lewis Dayton''' (February 17, 1807&nbsp;– December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]] and later in the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. In the [[1856 United States presidential election|1856 presidential election]], he became the first Republican vice-presidential nominee when nominated alongside [[John C. Frémont]]. The Republican Party lost that campaign. During the [[American Civil War]], Dayton served as the [[United States Ambassador to France]], a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of the [[Confederate States of America]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
Dayton was a distant relation of [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|U.S. House Speaker]] and [[United States Constitution|U.S. Constitution]] signatory [[Jonathan Dayton]]. He was born in [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey]], to farmer Joel Dayton and his wife. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now [[Princeton University]]) in 1825 and worked as a lawyer in [[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold]].
Dayton was born in [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey]], to farmer Joel Dayton (1776–1833) and Nancy (Lewis) Dayton (1787–1866). 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 of [[Elias Dayton]] and second cousin of [[Jonathan Dayton]]. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now [[Princeton University]]) in 1825. He then [[reading law|studied law]] with [[Peter Dumont Vroom]], was [[Admission to the bar in the United States|admitted to the bar]] in 1830, and became an attorney in [[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold]].


==Political career==
==Political career==
In 1837, Dayton was elected to the [[New Jersey Legislative Council]] and became an associate judge of the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]] the following year. Following the death of U.S. Senator [[Samuel L. Southard]], he was appointed to the [[United States Senate]] starting July 2, 1842, and elected to finish the term ending in 1845. He was re-elected by the [[New Jersey Legislature]] as a [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] in 1845 but lost in 1851, ending his service on March 3, 1851.
In 1837, Dayton was elected to the [[New Jersey Legislative Council]], and he became an associate judge of the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]] in 1838. Following the death of U.S. Senator [[Samuel L. Southard]], he was appointed to the [[United 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Southwick |first=Leslie |title=Presidential also-rans and running mates, 1788-1980 |year=1984 |isbn=9780899501093 |pages=226–228|publisher=McFarland & Company }}</ref> Although he found negotiations for Oregon territory "agreeable," Dayton condemned the annexation of Texas as an attempt to spread slavery and regarded the [[Mexican–American War|Mexican-American War]] as dishonorable.<ref name=":0" /> Following the conflict's conclusion, Dayton supported the [[Wilmot Proviso]] and voted against the [[Compromise of 1850|1850 Compromise]], believing it conceded too much to pro-slavery interests.<ref name=":0" /> He was re-elected by the [[New Jersey Legislature]] as a [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] in 1845 but lost in 1851, ending his service on March 3, 1851.


In [[United States presidential election, 1856|1856]], Dayton was selected by the nascent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] as their first nominee for [[Vice President of the United States]] over [[Abraham Lincoln]] at the Philadelphia Convention. He and his running mate, [[John C. Fremont]], lost to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ticket of [[James Buchanan]] and [[John C. Breckinridge]]. Afterwards, he served as [[New Jersey Attorney General]] until 1861, when [[President of the United States|President]] Lincoln appointed him [[List of United States ambassadors to France|Minister to France]]. He served from 1861 to until he died in 1864, throughout most of the [[American Civil War]].
[[1856 United States presidential election|In 1856]], Dayton was selected by the nascent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] as their first nominee for [[Vice President of the United States]] over [[Abraham Lincoln]] at the Philadelphia Convention. He and his running mate, [[John C. Fremont]], lost to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ticket of [[James Buchanan]] and [[John C. Breckinridge]]. Afterwards, he served as [[New Jersey Attorney General]] until 1861, when his former rival, [[President of the United States|President]] Lincoln appointed him [[List of United States ambassadors to France|Minister to France]]. He served from May 1861 until his death in December 1864. His service spanned most of the [[American Civil War]], and Dayton served a key role in preventing [[France and the American Civil War|French intervention]] in the War.


==Ambassador==
==Ambassador==
In France, Dayton was part of a successful lobbying campaign to prevent the government of [[Napoleon III of France|Napoleon III]] from recognizing the independence of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] or allowing Confederate use of French ports.
In France, Dayton was part of a successful lobbying campaign to prevent the government of [[Napoleon III]] from recognizing the independence of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] or allowing Confederate use of French ports.


Dayton died in Paris and was buried in [[Riverview Cemetery, Trenton|Riverview Cemetery]], [[Trenton, New Jersey]].<ref name=NYT2000>James, George. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501EEDB1131F933A15751C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3 "He's Looked at Life From Both Sides Now"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', "Buried here too is William Lewis Dayton, the first Republican vice presidential candidate who defeated Lincoln for the position in 1856 but lost the presidential nomination to him in 1860." February 20, 2000. Accessed December 29, 2007.</ref>
Dayton died in Paris and was buried in [[Riverview Cemetery, Trenton|Riverview Cemetery]], [[Trenton, New Jersey]].<ref name=NYT2000>James, George. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501EEDB1131F933A15751C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3 "He's Looked at Life From Both Sides Now"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', "Buried here too is William Lewis Dayton, the first Republican vice presidential candidate who defeated Lincoln for the position in 1856 but lost the presidential nomination to him in 1860." February 20, 2000. Accessed December 29, 2007.</ref>


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
His son, [[William Lewis Dayton, Jr.]] (1839–1897), graduated from Princeton in 1858 and served as President [[Chester A. Arthur]]'s [[United States Ambassador to the Netherlands|Ambassador to the Netherlands]] from 1882&ndash;1885.
His son, [[William Lewis Dayton Jr.]] (1839–1897), graduated from Princeton in 1858 and served as President [[Chester A. Arthur]]'s [[United States Ambassador to the Netherlands|Ambassador to the Netherlands]] from 1882&ndash;1885.


Later, the town of [[Dayton, New Jersey]], was named in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.twp.south-brunswick.nj.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={2FFC0C53-5EB9-4860-A8E9-C433D72A22C6} |title=South Brunswick Township History |date= |accessdate=2012-11-09 |quote=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. ...|publisher= |location= }}</ref>
Later, the town of [[Dayton, New Jersey]], was named in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.twp.south-brunswick.nj.us/community/history |title=South Brunswick Township History |access-date=2012-11-09 |quote=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. ...}}</ref> Dayton Street in Trenton, New Jersey, also memorializes him.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trentonhistory.org/streets.html |title=How Streets of Trenton Obtained Present Names |website=Trenton Historical Society |access-date=October 23, 2023 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000166 Biographical Dictionary of the U.S. Congress]
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000166 Biographical Dictionary of the U.S. Congress]
* [http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/5527/mcms.html Photograph of William Lewis Dayton]
* [http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/5527/mcms.html Photograph of William Lewis Dayton]
* [http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/dayton.html William L. Dayton Papers] at the [[Princeton University Library]]
* [http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/dayton.html William L. Dayton Papers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050725082456/http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/dayton.html |date=2005-07-25 }} at the [[Princeton University Library]]


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{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[List of United States Republican Party presidential tickets|nominee]] for [[Vice President of the United States]]|years=[[United States presidential election, 1856|1856]]}}
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[[Category:1807 births]]
[[Category:1807 births]]
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[[Category:1864 deaths]]
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[[Category:People from Bernards Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to France]]
[[Category:Whig Party United States senators from New Jersey]]
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[[Category:1856 United States vice-presidential candidates]]
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[[Category:19th-century American diplomats]]
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[[Category:New Jersey attorneys general]]
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[[Category:People from Freehold Township, New Jersey]]
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[[Category:People of New Jersey in the American Civil War]]
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[[Category:United States Senators from New Jersey]]
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[[Category:United States vice-presidential candidates, 1856]]
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[[Category:Whig Party United States Senators]]

Latest revision as of 21:56, 29 July 2024

William Dayton
Dayton circa 1856
United States Minister to France
In office
May 19, 1861 – December 1, 1864
PresidentAbraham Lincoln
Preceded byCharles J. Faulkner
Succeeded byJohn Bigelow
21st Attorney General of New Jersey
In office
January 20, 1857 – March 18, 1861
GovernorWilliam A. Newell
Charles Smith Olden
Preceded byRichard Thompson
Succeeded byFrederick Frelinghuysen
United States Senator
from New Jersey
In office
July 2, 1842 – March 3, 1851
Preceded bySamuel L. Southard
Succeeded byRobert F. Stockton
Personal details
Born
William Lewis Dayton

(1807-02-17)February 17, 1807
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedDecember 1, 1864(1864-12-01) (aged 57)
Paris, France
Political partyWhig (Before 1854)
Republican (1854–1864)
SpouseMargaret Dayton
EducationPrinceton University (BA)

William Lewis Dayton (February 17, 1807 – December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in the Whig Party and later in the Republican Party. In the 1856 presidential election, he became the first Republican vice-presidential nominee when nominated alongside John C. Frémont. The Republican Party lost that campaign. During the American Civil War, Dayton served as the United States Ambassador to France, a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of the Confederate States of America.

Early life

[edit]

Dayton was born in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, to farmer Joel Dayton (1776–1833) and Nancy (Lewis) Dayton (1787–1866). 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 of Elias Dayton and second cousin of Jonathan Dayton. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1825. He then studied law with Peter Dumont Vroom, was admitted to the bar in 1830, and became an attorney in Freehold.

Political career

[edit]

In 1837, Dayton was elected to the New Jersey Legislative Council, and he became an associate judge of the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1838. Following the death of U.S. Senator Samuel L. Southard, he was appointed to the United 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 the Mexican-American War as dishonorable.[1] Following the conflict's conclusion, Dayton supported the Wilmot Proviso and voted against the 1850 Compromise, believing it conceded too much to pro-slavery interests.[1] He was re-elected by the New Jersey Legislature as a Whig in 1845 but lost in 1851, ending his service on March 3, 1851.

In 1856, Dayton was selected by the nascent Republican Party as their first nominee for Vice President of the United States over Abraham Lincoln at the Philadelphia Convention. He and his running mate, John C. Fremont, lost to the Democratic ticket of James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge. Afterwards, he served as New Jersey Attorney General until 1861, when his former rival, President Lincoln appointed him Minister to France. He served from May 1861 until his death in December 1864. His service spanned most of the American Civil War, and Dayton served a key role in preventing French intervention in the War.

Ambassador

[edit]

In France, Dayton was part of a successful lobbying campaign to prevent the government of Napoleon III from recognizing the independence of the Confederacy or allowing Confederate use of French ports.

Dayton died in Paris and was buried in Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey.[2]

Legacy

[edit]

His son, William Lewis Dayton Jr. (1839–1897), graduated from Princeton in 1858 and served as President Chester A. Arthur's Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1882–1885.

Later, the town of Dayton, New Jersey, was named in his honor.[3] Dayton Street in Trenton, New Jersey, also memorializes him.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Southwick, Leslie (1984). Presidential also-rans and running mates, 1788-1980. McFarland & Company. pp. 226–228. ISBN 9780899501093.
  2. ^ James, George. "He's Looked at Life From Both Sides Now", The New York Times, "Buried here too is William Lewis Dayton, the first Republican vice presidential candidate who defeated Lincoln for the position in 1856 but lost the presidential nomination to him in 1860." February 20, 2000. Accessed December 29, 2007.
  3. ^ "South Brunswick Township History". Retrieved 2012-11-09. 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. ...
  4. ^ "How Streets of Trenton Obtained Present Names". Trenton Historical Society. Retrieved October 23, 2023.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Republican Campaign Edition for the Million. Containing the Republican Platform, the Lives of Fremont and Dayton, with Beautiful Steel Portraits of Each, 1856 (Boston: John P. Jewett), via Illinois Historical Digitization Projects of the Northern Illinois University Libraries
[edit]
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 the Senate Public Buildings Committee
1842–1845 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
New political party Republican nominee for Vice 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
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