James McHenry

James McHenry (born November 16, 1753 in Ballymena , Ulster , † May 3, 1816 in Baltimore , Maryland ) was an American politician and one of the signatories of the American Constitution of Maryland. He was also a delegate to the Maryland Continental Congress and Secretary of War under Presidents George Washington and John Adams . According to him, which was Fort McHenry named.

He enjoyed a classical upbringing in Dublin and emigrated to Philadelphia in 1771 , where he became a doctor . In Baltimore, he founded an import-export company with his brother.

During his time as Secretary of War, he laid down racial segregation for the Marine Corps, which allowed no "Negro, Mulatto or Indian to be enlisted". This ban was in effect from 1798 to 1942.

Religious Beliefs

Like many of the Founding Fathers , James McHenry was an avowed Christian. In an 1813 letter, McHenry asked his president for funding for the first Baltimore Bible Society.

Public aid programs mostly use force for the general defense of the scriptures. The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they endure, which creates a conviction of their truths, can alone secure society, order and peace, as well as our courts of law and government constitution, purity, stability and usefulness. Without the Bible, we will in vain expand the penal code and design entrenchments around our institutions. Bibles are powerful entrenchments. Where they are in abundance, men cannot follow a mean course while enjoying a clear conscience.

literature

Karen E. Robbins: James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist. University of Georgia Press, Athens 2016, ISBN 978-0-8203-4979-4 .

Individual evidence

↑ Shaw, Henry I., Jr .; Donnelly, Ralph W. (2002). "Blacks in the Marine Corps" (PDF). Washington, DC: History and Museums Division, Headquarters USMC. Retrieved June 1, 2011.

Web links

Commons : James McHenry - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

James McHenry in the Miller Center of Public Affairs of the University of Virginia (English)
James McHenry at Find A Grave

personal data
SURNAME	McHenry, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician and signatory to the American Constitution
DATE OF BIRTH	November 16, 1753
PLACE OF BIRTH	Ballymena , Ulster
DATE OF DEATH	May 3, 1816
Place of death	Baltimore , Maryland

[1] Shaw, Henry I., Jr .; Donnelly, Ralph W. (2002). "Blacks in the Marine Corps" (PDF). Washington, DC: History and Museums Division, Headquarters USMC. Retrieved June 1, 2011.