William J. Duane

William John Duane
11th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office
May 29, 1833  September 22, 1833
President Andrew Jackson
Preceded by Louis McLane
Succeeded by Roger B. Taney
Personal details
Born (1780-05-09)May 9, 1780
Clonmel, Ireland
Died September 27, 1865(1865-09-27) (aged 85)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party Democratic-Republican, Democrat
Spouse(s) Deborah Franklin Bache
Profession Politician, Lawyer

William John Duane (May 9, 1780 – September 27, 1865) was an Irish born American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania.

Born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, Duane emigrated to the United States with his parents, William Duane, and Catherine Corcoran in 1796, settling in Philadelphia. He assisted his father in publishing the Aurora, a Philadelphia newspaper, until 1806. He became an influential lawyer and served several terms in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, becoming one of the most powerful state politicians in Pennsylvania at the time.[1]

Family

He married on December 31, 1805 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Deborah Franklin Bache, who was born on October 1, 1781 in Philadelphia, and died on February 12, 1863 at Philadelphia. Her father was Richard Bache, Sr., a marine insurance underwriter and importer in Philadelphia. Bache served as United States Postmaster General from 1776 to 1782. Her mother was Sarah Franklin Bache, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin.

Secretary of the Treasury

In 1833, President Andrew Jackson appointed Duane Secretary of the Treasury. Like his predecessor, Louis McLane, who was moved to the Department of State, Duane refused to remove government deposits from the Bank of the United States and transfer them to state banks. This caused clashes with Jackson and Duane was soon replaced by Roger B. Taney. He defended his own position in his book Narrative and Correspondence Concerning the Removal of the Deposites, and Occurrences Connected Therewith, published in 1838.

Death

Duane died in Philadelphia on September 26, 1865.

References

  1. Phillips 1977

Further reading

Political offices
Preceded by
Louis McLane
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Served under: Andrew Jackson

May 29, 1833 – September 22, 1833
Succeeded by
Roger B. Taney
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