William Pinkney
Encyclopedia
William Pinkney was an American
statesman and diplomat, and the seventh U.S. Attorney General.
, Pinkney studied medicine (which he did not practise) and law, becoming a lawyer after his admission to the bar in 1786. After some time practising law in Harford County, Maryland
, he participated in Maryland's state constitutional convention.
Pinkney served in the Maryland House of Delegates
from 1788 to 1792 and then again in 1795, and served as a U.S. Congressman from the third district of Maryland in 1791 and from the fifth district from 1815 until 1816. He was mayor of Annapolis from 1795 to 1800, Attorney General of Maryland
from 1805 to 1806, co-U.S. Minister to the Court of St. James (i.e. Great Britain
) (with James Monroe
) from 1806 to 1807; they negotiated the Monroe–Pinkney Treaty, which was rejected by President Thomas Jefferson and never went into effect. Pinkney was Minister Plenipotentiary from 1808 until 1811. He then returned to Maryland, serving in the Maryland State Senate
in 1811, becoming the U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia
, along with a special mission to the Kingdom of Naples
from 1816 until 1818. In 1811 he joined President James Madison
's cabinet as Attorney General.
He was a major in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812
and was wounded at the Battle of Bladensburg
, Maryland in August 1814. After the War, he served as Congressman from the fifth district of Maryland from 1815 to 1816, and as a U.S. Senator from Maryland from 1819 until his death in 1822. He is buried at the Congressional Cemetery
in Washington, DC.
His son, Edward Coote Pinkney
, became an accomplished poet.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman and diplomat, and the seventh U.S. Attorney General.
Biography
Born in Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, Pinkney studied medicine (which he did not practise) and law, becoming a lawyer after his admission to the bar in 1786. After some time practising law in Harford County, Maryland
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
, he participated in Maryland's state constitutional convention.
Pinkney served in the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
from 1788 to 1792 and then again in 1795, and served as a U.S. Congressman from the third district of Maryland in 1791 and from the fifth district from 1815 until 1816. He was mayor of Annapolis from 1795 to 1800, Attorney General of Maryland
Attorney General of Maryland
The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits...
from 1805 to 1806, co-U.S. Minister to the Court of St. James (i.e. Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
) (with James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
) from 1806 to 1807; they negotiated the Monroe–Pinkney Treaty, which was rejected by President Thomas Jefferson and never went into effect. Pinkney was Minister Plenipotentiary from 1808 until 1811. He then returned to Maryland, serving in the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
in 1811, becoming the U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia
History of Russia
The history of Russia begins with that of the Eastern Slavs and the Finno-Ugric peoples. The state of Garðaríki , which was centered in Novgorod and included the entire areas inhabited by Ilmen Slavs, Veps and Votes, was established by the Varangian chieftain Rurik in 862...
, along with a special mission to the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
from 1816 until 1818. In 1811 he joined President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
's cabinet as Attorney General.
He was a major in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and was wounded at the Battle of Bladensburg
Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C...
, Maryland in August 1814. After the War, he served as Congressman from the fifth district of Maryland from 1815 to 1816, and as a U.S. Senator from Maryland from 1819 until his death in 1822. He is buried at the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
in Washington, DC.
His son, Edward Coote Pinkney
Edward Coote Pinkney
Edward Coote Pinkney was an American poet, lawyer, sailor, professor, and editor. Born in London in 1802, Pinkney made his way to Maryland. After attending college, he joined the United States Navy and traveled throughout the Mediterranean and elsewhere...
, became an accomplished poet.