George Edmund Badger
Encyclopedia
George Edmund Badger was a Whig U.S. senator
from the state of North Carolina
.
Badger was born on April 17, 1795 in New Bern, North Carolina
. Following a partial college education at Yale University
, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1814. Badger practiced law in North Carolina
, was active in state politics, and served as a state superior court
judge. A supporter of Andrew Jackson
from the 1820s, he separated with him in the mid-1830s, became a leader of the Whig party and helped carry the Whigs to victory in the 1840 Presidential election.
Upon taking office, President William Henry Harrison
appointed Badger as his Secretary of the Navy
, and he continued in that post when John Tyler
succeeded to the Presidency upon Harrison's death. Badger's brief term as Secretary was marked by efforts to strengthen the Navy in the face of tension with Great Britain, the establishment of the Home Squadron and continued interest in steamships.
Badger resigned in September 1841, during a general cabinet shakeup. He was elected to the Senate in 1846 to fill the unexpired term of William Henry Haywood, Jr.
and remained a Senator until 1855. He was nominated by President Millard Fillmore
as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1853, but was not confirmed by the Senate. John Archibald Campbell
instead got the position. He was a Unionist during the secession crisis but thereafter supported the Confederate
war effort. Badger died in Raleigh, North Carolina
on May 11, 1866.
Two Navy ships have been named in honor of Senator Badger: USS George E. Badger
(DD-196), and USS Badger
(FF-1071). A Liberty ship
, the SS George E. Badger
, also was named in his honor. Badger was a cousin of naval officers Oscar C. Badger
, Charles J. Badger
and Oscar C. Badger II
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. Following a partial college education at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1814. Badger practiced law in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, was active in state politics, and served as a state superior court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
judge. A supporter of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
from the 1820s, he separated with him in the mid-1830s, became a leader of the Whig party and helped carry the Whigs to victory in the 1840 Presidential election.
Upon taking office, President William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
appointed Badger as his Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
, and he continued in that post when John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
succeeded to the Presidency upon Harrison's death. Badger's brief term as Secretary was marked by efforts to strengthen the Navy in the face of tension with Great Britain, the establishment of the Home Squadron and continued interest in steamships.
Badger resigned in September 1841, during a general cabinet shakeup. He was elected to the Senate in 1846 to fill the unexpired term of William Henry Haywood, Jr.
William Henry Haywood, Jr.
William Henry Haywood, Jr. was a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1843 and 1846....
and remained a Senator until 1855. He was nominated by President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1853, but was not confirmed by the Senate. John Archibald Campbell
John Archibald Campbell
John Archibald Campbell was an American jurist.Campbell was born near Washington, Georgia, to Col. Duncan Greene Campbell...
instead got the position. He was a Unionist during the secession crisis but thereafter supported the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
war effort. Badger died in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
on May 11, 1866.
Two Navy ships have been named in honor of Senator Badger: USS George E. Badger
USS George E. Badger (DD-196)
USS George E. Badger was a in the United States Navy during World War II; she was named for Secretary of the Navy George E. Badger ....
(DD-196), and USS Badger
USS Badger (FF-1071)
USS Badger was a Knox-class destroyer escort, originally designated as DE-1071 and reclassified as a frigate in 1975 in the United States Navy. Her primary mission of ASW remained unchanged. This ship was not the first to bear the name. The first was named for Commodore Oscar C...
(FF-1071). A Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
, the SS George E. Badger
SS George E. Badger
SS George E. Badger was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after George Edmund Badger, a North Carolina Senator from 1846 to 1855 and Secretary of the Navy in 1841....
, also was named in his honor. Badger was a cousin of naval officers Oscar C. Badger
Oscar C. Badger
Oscar C. Badger received appointment as a midshipman in the United States Navy on 9 September 1841 and, after a tour of duty in Independence, served in Saratoga along the Atlantic coast of Africa.-Service in Africa and during the Mexican-American War:While serving in the latter ship, he saw his...
, Charles J. Badger
Charles J. Badger
Charles Johnston Badger was an admiral in the United States Navy. His active-duty career included service in the Spanish-American War and World War I.-Biography:...
and Oscar C. Badger II
Oscar C. Badger II
Oscar Charles Badger II was an admiral of the United States Navy who served in both World Wars, and, as a junior officer, received the Medal of Honor.-Early history:...
.
External links
- George Edmund Badger entry at The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...
- George E. Badger at Naval Historical CenterNaval Historical CenterThe Naval History & Heritage Command is the official history program of the United States Navy and is located at the historic Washington Navy Yard in the District of Columbia.-Mission :...