 | BIOGRAPHY
Abel Parker Upshur
Secretary of State,
Term of Appointment:
07/24/1843 to
02/28/1844
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- Born at "Vaucluse," Northampton County, Virginia, June 17, 1791
- Attended the College of New Jersey and Yale College
- Admitted to the bar in 1810 and practiced in Richmond
- Served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates 1812-1813 and 1825-1827
- Married first Elizabeth Dennis, who died; then married Elizabeth A. B. Upshur in 1826
- Served as a judge of the General Court of Virginia, 1826-1829
- Was a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention of 1829
- Served as a judge of the reorganized General Court 1830-1841
- Was Secretary of the Navy in President Tyler's Cabinet, 1841-1843
- Served as Secretary of State ad interim June 24 July 23, 1843
- Secretary of State from July 24, 1843 and served until his death;
- As Secretary of State, reopened negotiations for the annexation of Texas
- Killed by the explosion of a gun on board the battleship Princeton in the Potomac River about 15 miles below Washington, DC, February 28, 1844.
Released on July 15, 2003
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