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History of the Treasury
Secretaries of the Treasury
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Roger B. Taney
(1833 - 1834)
Roger B. Taney (1777-1864) entered President Jackson's
cabinet as Attorney General in 1831 and was Jackson's legal advisor during
the President's crusade against the Second Bank of the United States. After
Jackson was reelected in 1832,  Taney advised him to withdraw the government's
deposits from the Bank. When Treasury Secretary Duane refused to do so,
Jackson named Taney Acting Secretary in his stead. Taney's appointment was
never confirmed by Congress, but during his nine months as Acting Secretary
he transferred the government's deposits from the Second Bank to designated
commercial banks.
The Bank's charter did not expire until 1836, but
by draining it of government funds Taney rendered it weak and ineffective
before its time was up. Taney resigned when Congress refused to confirm
his appointment as Secretary in 1834. Two years later, Jackson, in gratitude
for Taney's actions against the Second Bank, appointed him Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court.
About the Artist
Henry Ulke, a prominent Washington, D.C. portrait
artist, executed many commissions in the late 1870's and the 1880's for
newly created federal portrait collections at the departments of Treasury
and war, and elsewhere. In addition to painting and photographing the
political notables of his day at his Pennsylvania Avenue studio, he made
numerous copies of earlier portraits. He is represented in the Treasury
collection by portraits of secretaries Crawford, Ingham, Taney, Bibb,
Chase, and Carlisle, all but Carlisle's being copies. The source for Ulke's
1881 portrait of Roger B.Taney is probably a photograph taken in the early
1860's.
Office of the Curator
All rights reserved. 2001
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