Caesar Augustus Rodney

Caesar Augustus Rodney ( born January 4, 1772 in Dover, Delaware, † June 10, 1824 in Buenos Aires ) was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat, United States Senator and United States Attorney General.

Family, study and career

His father Thomas Rodney was not just delegate to the Continental Congress, but also several years Chief Justice of Mississippi. Caesar Augustus Rodney, who was named after his uncle Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, named, also first completed a general education studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1789 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA). The subsequent study of law in Philadelphia, he graduated in 1793 with the admission to a lawyer from. He then worked as a lawyer in Wilmington and New Castle.

During the British - American War of 1812 he served as a Captain in the 1st Artillery Regiment of Delaware on the border of Canada and in the defense of Baltimore in 1814.

Political career

Deputy in Delaware and Washington

Rodney began his political career in 1797 with the election of the Members of the House of Representatives from Delaware, where he remained until 1802. During this time he became a follower of Thomas Jefferson and one of the leaders of the Democratic- Republican Party.

Inspired by his example, he decided to Jefferson in 1802 as a candidate for the House of Representatives against the former Congressman and later U.S. Senator James A. Bayard, Sr., whom he beat in the election with a majority of only 15 votes. As a representative of the congressional district of Delaware, he belonged to the House of Representatives on 4 March 1803 to 3 March 1805 and at that time the Committee on Ways and Means on. As a parliamentarian, he had also earned a reputation as a manager of impeachment against Judge John Pickering and Samuel Chase.

In the following congressional election of 1804 he was defeated by Bayard with a clear majority. Despite their mutual political party preferences Bayard and Rodney remained good friends for life. From January 3, 1815 until January 6, 1818, he was first a member of the Senate from Delaware. March 4, 1821 to January 22, 1822, he was again deputy for Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Attorney General under President Jefferson and Senator

On January 20, 1807, President Jefferson appointed him as Minister of Justice ( Attorney General ) in his cabinet. In this office he was also taken over by Jefferson's successor, James Madison. As Attorney General, he was in 1807 Mitvertreter the prosecution at the trial for high treason against the former Vice President Aaron Burr.

From disappointment that he was passed over for a nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States, he resigned as Minister of Justice on 5 December 1811.

On March 4, 1821 was his swearing-in ceremony for U.S. Senator. As such, he belonged to 29 January 1823 the Congress. Rodney was now the only democratic-republican senator in what was then dominated by the Federalists Delaware.

Diplomatic Missions

1817 Rodney was appointed by President James Monroe as chairman of a special commission. This had the task of examining whether the newly founded states can be recognized in South America from the United States. Rodney was a strong supporter of these recognitions and published his findings in 1819 together with the diplomat and former Secretary of State John Graham officiating in the Reports On The Present State Of The United Provinces Of South America. This report was ultimately one of the foundations for 1823 submitted to Congress Monroe Doctrine. Requiring the European powers not to rekolonialisieren the newly independent states of Latin America contained therein, led to the shortening of the doctrine under the slogan "America the Americans ".

The function of the Commission Chairman was also the reason for his appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata ( Argentina) on 29 January 1823. This office he held until his death on 10 June 1824 in Buenos Aires.

Pictures of Caesar Augustus Rodney

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