Preston King
Encyclopedia
Preston King was a United States Representative and Senator
from New York
.
, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Union College
in 1827, where he was an early member of The Kappa Alpha Society
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar
. He established the St. Lawrence Republican in 1830 and was postmaster
of Ogdensburg from 1831 to 1834. He was a member from St. Lawrence County
of the New York State Assembly
from 1835 to 1838.
King was elected as a Democrat
to the 28th
and 29th United States Congress
es, serving from March 4, 1843, to March 4, 1847. He was Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Invalid Pensions (29th Congress).
King is generally considered as the principal founder of both the Free Soil and Free Soil Democratic Parties, which ran creditable third party national candidates, and one of the two main organizers of the successor Republican Party.
He was elected as a Free Soiler
to the 31st
and 32nd United States Congress
es, serving from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1853.
He was elected as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate in February 1857
, and served from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1863. He was Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Revolutionary Claims (37th Congress).
Afterwards he resumed the practice of law, was considered for the Republican vice-presidential
nomination in 1860 and was a presidential elector on the Abraham Lincoln
ticket in 1864. After the death of President Lincoln, he served as effective White House Chief of Staff during the early days of the Johnson Administration
On August 14, 1865, King was appointed by President Andrew Johnson
Collector of the Port of New York
, in an effort to eliminate corruption in the Port of New York and to heal divisions within the Republican Party. Despairing of success, King committed suicide
by tying a bag of bullets around his neck and leaping from a ferry
boat in New York Harbor
on November 13, 1865, and was buried at the City Cemetery in Ogdensburg.
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 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Biography
Born in Ogdensburg, New YorkOgdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in 1827, where he was an early member of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
. He established the St. Lawrence Republican in 1830 and was postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Ogdensburg from 1831 to 1834. He was a member from St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
from 1835 to 1838.
King was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the 28th
28th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida .- Senate :*President: Vacant...
and 29th United States Congress
29th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.-Leadership:-Senate:* President: George M. Dallas * President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum...
es, serving from March 4, 1843, to March 4, 1847. He was Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Invalid Pensions (29th Congress).
King is generally considered as the principal founder of both the Free Soil and Free Soil Democratic Parties, which ran creditable third party national candidates, and one of the two main organizers of the successor Republican Party.
He was elected as a Free Soiler
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
to the 31st
31st United States Congress
The Thirty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, during the last 17 months...
and 32nd United States Congress
32nd United States Congress
The Thirty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1853, during the third and...
es, serving from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1853.
He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the U.S. Senate in February 1857
United States Senate election in New York, 1857
The 1857 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 3, 1857, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.-Background:...
, and served from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1863. He was Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Revolutionary Claims (37th Congress).
Afterwards he resumed the practice of law, was considered for the Republican vice-presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nomination in 1860 and was a presidential elector on the Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
ticket in 1864. After the death of President Lincoln, he served as effective White House Chief of Staff during the early days of the Johnson Administration
On August 14, 1865, King was appointed by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
Collector of the Port of New York
Collector of the Port of New York
The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, sometimes also as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York or Collector of Customs for the District of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import...
, in an effort to eliminate corruption in the Port of New York and to heal divisions within the Republican Party. Despairing of success, King committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by tying a bag of bullets around his neck and leaping from a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
boat in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
on November 13, 1865, and was buried at the City Cemetery in Ogdensburg.