Robert Field Stockton

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Robert Field Stockton
Robert Field Stockton

Robert F. Stockton (born August 20, 1795 in Princeton , New Jersey , † October 7, 1866 there ) was an American naval officer and Democratic Senator for New Jersey. He was best known for his role in the conquest of California .

biography

Stockton was born in Princeton, New Jersey to a well-known family of politicians. His father was Congressman and Senator Richard Stockton , and his grandfather Richard Stockton was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence .

Young Stockton entered the Navy as a seaman and participated in the War of 1812 at the age of 16 . After the war he became a lieutenant in the navy and his area of ​​operations was the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and West Africa. He was the first American naval officer to oppose the slave trade and to pound some slave ships. He played a major role in the establishment of the state of Liberia , which created a new home for former slaves.

He spent the late 1820s and 1830s in his native New Jersey doing private business. In 1838 he rejoined the Navy. In 1841 the new President John Tyler offered him the post of Minister of the Navy, which he refused. During this time he successfully campaigned for the construction of a large, heavily armed steamship. This ship was the USS Princeton designed by John Erickson , which was the United States Navy's first screw-propelled steam warship .

When the Mexican-American War broke out , Stockton was commander-in-chief of a squadron operating in the eastern Pacific. In this capacity he soon became involved in combat operations. With his help California could be conquered. As a result, he was appointed military governor of the state of California, which led to internal conflicts with General Stephen W. Kearny and John Charles Fremont .

In 1850 he resigned from the military to run for Senator for New Jersey in 1851. After his election he campaigned for the abolition of flogging in the Navy. In January 1853, he gave up his Senate seat to become President of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company . He held this position until his death in 1866.

Shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War , he was a member of an unsuccessful committee that was supposed to prevent the outbreak of war. When Confederate forces threatened Pennsylvania in 1863, Stockton was named commander of the militia. Stockton died on October 7, 1866 in Princeton, New Jersey and was buried in the local cemetery.

In his honor, the Navy named four warships after him. In addition, Fort Stockton , built in Monrovia , and numerous places and streets in the United States were named after him.

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personal data
SURNAME Stockton, Robert Field
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stockton, Robert F.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American naval officer and senator
DATE OF BIRTH August 20, 1795
PLACE OF BIRTH Princeton , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH October 7, 1866
Place of death Princeton , New Jersey