Paul Hamilton (politician)

Paul Hamilton
3rd United States Secretary of the Navy
In office May 15, 1809 – January 1, 1813
Appointed by	James Madison
Preceded by	Robert Smith
Succeeded by	William Jones
42nd Governor of South Carolina
In office December 7, 1804 – December 9, 1806
Lieutenant	Thomas Sumter, Jr.
Preceded by	James Burchill Richardson
Succeeded by	Charles Pinckney
1st South Carolina Comptroller of Finance
In office 1799 – 1804
Governor	Edward Rutledge John Drayton James Burchill Richardson
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Thomas Lee
Member of the South Carolina Senate from St. Bartholomew's Parish
In office November 24, 1794 – December 21, 1799
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from St. Paul's Parish
In office January 1, 1787 – January 5, 1789
Personal details
Born	(1762-10-16)October 16, 1762 Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina
Died	June 30, 1816(1816-06-30) (aged 53) Beaufort, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Wilkinson
Profession	Politician, Farmer
Military service
Service/branch	Continental Army
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War

Paul Hamilton (October 16, 1762 – June 30, 1816) was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Navy, from 1809 to 1813.

Paul Hamilton was born in Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, on October 16, 1762. He left school at the age of sixteen due to financial problems. During the American War of Independence he served actively in military roles in the southern states, fighting under General Francis Marion. He participated with Colonel William Harden in the capture of Fort Balfour.

Following the war, he was a planter and public figure. Hamilton served South Carolina in many public offices including state Representative (1787), State Senator (1794), Comptroller (1800), and the 42nd Governor (1804).

In 1809, President James Madison selected Hamilton to become the third Secretary of the Navy. His term in office included the first months of the War of 1812, during which time the small United States Navy achieved several remarkable victories over British warships. Hamilton was a proponent of military preparedness, especially sea fortifications. Although he wanted to strengthen the Navy, he found the Congress hostile and the President indifferent to his ideas. However, he was responsible for the Naval Hospitals Act of 1811. Secretary Hamilton resigned at the end of 1812 and returned to South Carolina, where he died in Beaufort on June 30, 1816.

Three Navy destroyers have been named USS Paul Hamilton in his honor along with the USS Hamilton and one Liberty ship named SS Paul Hamilton.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History & Heritage Command.

External links

• SCIway Biography of Paul Hamilton
• NGA Biography of Paul Hamilton
• Paul Hamilton (politician) at Find a Grave
• Paul Hamilton Papers at the University of South Carolina Library's Digital Collections Page (letters from 1802–1812)

v t e Governors of South Carolina J. Rutledge Lowndes J. Rutledge Mathews Guerard Moultrie T. Pinckney C. Pinckney Moultrie Vanderhorst C. Pinckney E. Rutledge Drayton J. Richardson P. Hamilton C. Pinckney Drayton Middleton Alston D. Williams A. Pickens Geddes Bennett Wilson Manning I Taylor Miller J. Hamilton Hayne McDuffie Butler Noble Henagan Richardson II Hammond Aiken Johnson Seabrook Means J. Manning Adams Allston Gist F. Pickens Bonham Magrath Perry Orr Scott Moses Chamberlain Hampton Simpson Jeter Hagood Thompson Sheppard Richardson III Tillman Evans Ellerbe McSweeney Heyward Ansel Blease Smith Manning III Cooper Harvey McLeod Richards Blackwood Johnston Maybank Harley Jefferies Johnston R. Williams Thurmond Byrnes Timmerman Hollings Russell McNair West Edwards Riley Campbell Beasley Hodges Sanford Haley

v t e United States Department of the Navy Secretaries Cabinet level Stoddert Smith Hamilton Jones Crowninshield S Thompson Southard Branch L. Woodbury Dickerson Paulding Badger Upshur Henshaw Gilmer Mason Bancroft Mason Preston Graham Kennedy Dobbin Toucey Welles Borie Robeson R Thompson Goff Hunt Chandler Whitney Tracy Herbert Long Moody Morton Bonaparte Metcalf Newberry Meyer Daniels Denby Wilbur Adams Swanson Edison Knox Forrestal Dept. of Defense Sullivan Matthews Kimball Anderson Thomas T. Gates Franke Connally Korth Nitze Ignatius Chafee Warner Middendorf Claytor Hidalgo Lehman Webb Ball Garrett O'Keefe Dalton Danzig England Winter Mabus Under Secretaries Forrestal Bard A. Gates Sullivan Kenney Kimball Whitehair Thomas T. Gates Franke Bantz Fay BeLieu Baldwin Baird Warner Sanders Middendorf Potter Macdonald Woolsey Murray Goodrich Garrett Howard Danzig Hultin Pirie Livingstone Aviles Work Assistant Secretaries Pre-1954 Fox Faxon Soley McAdoo T. Roosevelt Sr. Allen Hackett Darling Newberry Satterlee Winthrop F. Roosevelt G. Woodbury T. Roosevelt Jr. Robinson Jahncke H. Roosevelt Edison Compton Bard Hensel Kenney Andrews Koehler Askins Fogler Post-1954 Financial Management and Comptroller Installations and Environment Manpower and Reserve Affairs Research, Development and Acquisitions General Counsel of the Navy defunct: Air Installations and Logistics Material Research and Development Research, Engineering and Systems Shipbuilding and Logistics

v t e Cabinet of President James Madison (1809–1817) Vice President George Clinton (1809–1812) None (1812-1813) Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) None (1814-1817) Secretary of State Robert Smith (1809–1811) James Monroe (1811–1814, 1815–1817) Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1809–1814) George W. Campbell (1814) Alexander J. Dallas (1814–1816) William H. Crawford (1816–1817) Secretary of War William Eustis (1809–1813) John Armstrong, Jr. (1813–1814) James Monroe (1814–1815) William H. Crawford (1815–1816) Attorney General Caesar A. Rodney (1809–1811) William Pinkney (1811–1814) Richard Rush (1814–1817) Postmaster General Gideon Granger (1809-1814) Return J. Meigs, Jr. (1814-1817) Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton (1809–1813) William Jones (1813–1814) Benjamin W. Crowninshield (1814–1817)