The 39 Days of the Brave: - James McHenry Day 10

[First Coast Tea Party]

Constitution Signer

 

James McHenry

 

 

James McHenry was born in Ballymena, Ireland on November 16^th, 1753. He was one of the original signers of the United States Constitution. Fort McHenry in Maryland is named after him.

 

He attended school in Dublin Ireland. He became quite ill in his youth, his parents suspected, because of his incessant studying habits. This made them very concerned. Because of this, they sent him to the colonies to recuperate in 1771, at the age of 17. He moved in to the home of a family friend.

 

 While living in Philadelphia, McHenry continued his obsessive study habits under the professorship of Benjamin Rush. McHenry became a physician and a skilled surgeon and put his skills to good use as a surgeon during the American Revolutionary War.

 

After moving to Baltimore Maryland, he partnered with his brother and together they started an import-export business. He became a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland and he also became the third U.S. Secretary of War between 1796 and 1800 under Presidents George Washington and John Adams.

 

Because of his skills as surgeon, he had impressed George Washington and was made an aide to him just before the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. He was loyal to Washington and served for two years and retired from the Army in 1781.

 

There were three doctors who participated in the Constitutional Convention, McHenry, Hugh Williamson and James McClurg. All three helped to create the U.S. Constitution.  His appointment as Secretary of War was made by President Washington and he stayed on under President Adams.

 

During President Adam’s first administration, he found that three members of his cabinet: Secretary of War McHenry, Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott, began to publically disagree with his policies and tended to listen to Adam’s adversary Alexander Hamilton. Instead of the three men resigning, they decided to stay in office and work against his official policies. No one really knows if Adams knew of their disloyalty.

 

Even though many in the administration liked Secretary McHenry personally, Washington, Hamilton and Wolcott constantly complained of his incompetence. In 1800, as the Presidential primaries were under way, Hamilton continued to question President Adam's loyalty which sparked public debate and eventually paved the way for Thomas Jefferson to become the next President.

 

After losing the election in 1800 and just prior to Jeffersons inauguration, Adams replaced McHenry after demanding his resignation. Pickering and Wolcott followed McHenry and Adams replaced McHenry with Samuel Dexter as the fourth Secretary of War.

 

James McHenry died on May 3^rd, 1816. He was 62.

 

        McHenry is memorialized in Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

        Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland is named after him. A battle during the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to compose The Star-Spangled Banner which would become the National Anthem.

        Henry Street in Madison, Wisconsin is named in his honor.

 

References

1. ^ Edward G. Lengel, General George Washington: A Military Life (New York: Random House, 2007).

2. ^ Bernard C. Steiner and James McHenry, The life and correspondence of James McHenry (Cleveland: Burrows Brothers Co., 1907).

3. ^ Lengel, General George Washington

4. ^ Lengel, General George Washington

5. ^ John Patrick Diggins, John Adams, New York: Times Books, 2003

6. ^ "Origins of Madison Street Names". Wisconsin Historical Society. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/odd/archives/002071.asp. Retrieved 24 June 2011