Samuel Dexter
A politically agile Bostonian who served in two rival presidential cabinets during the fragile early years of the American republic.
1761–1816 (age 55)·American politician·Birthday: May 14
Biography
Samuel Dexter of Massachusetts was a lawyer with a knack for being in the room where it happened during the nation's first decades. A Harvard graduate and fierce Federalist, he served in both the House and Senate, arguing for a strong central government. His true historical footnote comes from his rare bipartisan appeal. In 1800, outgoing President John Adams appointed him Secretary of War. Just a year later, the newly inaugurated Thomas Jefferson, Adams's political foe, asked Dexter to stay on temporarily as Secretary of the Treasury. For a few months, he was the entire Federalist presence in a Democratic-Republican cabinet, smoothly managing the transition of power. Dexter later broke with the Federalists over their opposition to the War of 1812, embodying the shifting political alliances of a young country still defining itself.
#1 When Samuel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1761
Samuel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1761Born
1766Started school
1774Became a teenager
1777Could drive
1779Could vote
1782Turned 21
1791Turned 30
1801Turned 40
1811Turned 50
1816Died at 55
Key Achievements
- Served as U.S. Secretary of War under President John Adams (1800-1801).
- Served briefly as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Thomas Jefferson (1801).
- Represented Massachusetts in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled orator; his eulogy for George Washington was widely reprinted and admired.
He turned down a nomination to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
His son, Samuel Dexter, was a noted chemist and professor at Harvard.
“I have accepted the War Department, and I will not shrink from its duties.”
