George Alfred Trenholm
George Alfred Trenholm (born February 25, 1807 in Charleston , South Carolina , † December 10, 1876 ibid) was a politician of the Confederate States of America .
Origin and career
George Alfred Trenholm was the son of shipowner William Trenholm and his wife Irena, nee de Greffin. His father died when he was young. He left school in the 1820s and worked for the John Fraser & Company . There he was finally accepted as a partner in the company. It was then renamed Fraser, Trenholm & Company . From 1853 Trenholm was the sole owner. The company had contacts with foreign companies. Trenholm was given unlimited credit. As one of the richest men in the South, he had interests in steamboat trips, the hotel industry, cotton production, the operation of berths, the use of plantations and slaves, the banking industry and the operation of railways. He married Anna Helen Homes on April 3, 1828. From this marriage there were 13 children.
Political career
From 1852 to 1856 Trenholm sat in the South Carolina Parliament and became a Democrat who supported secession .
Secession period
During the civil war, Trenholm made its knowledge and assets available to the Confederates. He financed a flotilla of boats and the iron gunboat Chicora . With that he broke the blockade of the north to Nassau , Bahamas . Through his company's Liverpool branch, he acted as the Confederate financial agent and helped shape their financial policy. From July 18, 1864, Trenholm was Treasury Secretary in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis . Trenholm refused to continue the policy of his predecessor as Minister of Finance, Christopher Gustavus Memminger . He fought inflation and speculation and, after it was too late to finance the war, advocated the issuance of interest-bearing Confederate bonds. His tax reform was not far-reaching enough and he tried in vain to get foreign loans. On April 27, 1865, he resigned from his post because of his poor health.
post war period
Trenholm was interned after the war and returned to business in Charleston, SC upon his release. In 1867 he was bankrupt, but he rebuilt his cotton brokerage business and made another fortune. In 1874 he was elected a Democrat to the South Carolina Parliament. He died on December 10, 1876 in Charleston and was buried there in the Magnolia Cemetery in a grave marked very simply in view of his wealth.
swell
literature
- Jon L. Wakelyn: Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, ISBN 0-8071-0092-7
- Rembert W. Patrick: Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 1944
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Gustavus Memminger |
Finance Minister of the Confederate 18 July 1864-27. April 1865 |
John Henninger Reagan |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Trenholm, George Alfred |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 25, 1807 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Carlestom , South Carolina |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 10, 1876 |
| Place of death | Carlestom , South Carolina |