Caleb Cushing
American politician and diplomat / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Caleb Cushing (January 17, 1800 – January 2, 1879) was an American Democratic politician and diplomat who served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts and the 23rd United States Attorney General under President Franklin Pierce.[1] From 1874 until 1877, he was the United States Minister to Spain.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2021) |
Caleb Cushing | |
---|---|
United States Minister to Spain | |
In office May 30, 1874 – April 9, 1877 | |
President | Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes |
Preceded by | Daniel Sickles |
Succeeded by | James Russell Lowell |
23rd United States Attorney General | |
In office March 7, 1853 – March 4, 1857 | |
President | Franklin Pierce |
Preceded by | John Crittenden |
Succeeded by | Jeremiah Black |
United States Minister to China | |
In office June 12, 1844 – August 27, 1844 | |
President | John Tyler |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Alexander Everett |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 3rd district | |
In office March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1843 | |
Preceded by | Gayton Osgood |
Succeeded by | Amos Abbott |
Personal details | |
Born | (1800-01-17)January 17, 1800 Salisbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | January 2, 1879(1879-01-02) (aged 78) Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic-Republican (Before 1825) National Republican (1825–1833) Whig (1833–1847) Democratic (1847–1879) |
Spouse |
Caroline Wilde (m. 1824) |
Education | Harvard University (AB) |
Signature | |
Cushing was an eager proponent of territorial and commercial expansion, especially regarding the acquisition of Texas, Oregon and Cuba. He believed that enlarging the American sphere would fulfill "the great destiny reserved for this exemplar American Republic."[2] Cushing secured the first American treaty with China, the Treaty of Wangxia of 1844; it gave American merchants trading rights in five Chinese ports.[3] After the Civil War, Cushing negotiated a treaty with Colombia to give the United States a right-of-way for a trans-oceanic Canal. He helped obtain a favorable settlement of the Alabama Claims, and as the ambassador to Spain in 1870s defused the troublesome Virginius Affair.