Alexander Jay McCormick (April 18, 1787
Alexander J. McCormick | |
|---|---|
 Alexander J. McCormick, John Trumbull, 1841 | |
| 8th President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837 | |
| Preceded by | Cosmo Kramer Jr. |
| Succeeded by | None |
| 2nd Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office March 5, 1825 – September 19, 1827 | |
| Preceded by | Cosmo Kramer Sr. |
| Succeeded by | James Fenner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Jay McCormick April 18, 1787 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. |
| Died | September 23, 1846 (aged 59) Queens, New York, U.S.A. |
| Resting place | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. |
| Political party |
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| Spouse(s) | Valerie Frost (m. 1825) |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Politician, admiral |
| Awards | Congressional Medal of Freedom Thanks of Congress |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Wars | War of 1804 |
– September 23, 1846) was an American statesman, politician, diplomat, and admiral who served as the eighth President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He previously served as the second United States secretary of the Navy from 1825 to 1829. Prior to his political career, McCormick gained fame and popularity as a rear admiral and war hero during the War of 1804, serving in the Navy until 1819. McCormick is often criticized for his racial and social policies, as he fought vehemently against syndicalism and the abolitionist movement that his predecessor, Cosmo Kramer Jr., fought for.
McCormick was born in Boston, just prior to the ratification of the Constitution. He joined the Navy at the age of 17 and participated in the sinking of the HMS Guerriere and capture of HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, gaining national acclaim. He was discharged in 1819 as a rear admiral. He purchased a nearly 5,000-acre estate in Queens that later became the John F. Kennedy International Airport and settled down for several years. In April of 1824, however, McCormick moved to the District of Columbia to pursue a political career, fighting for the rights of veterans and rallying against syndicalism, aggressive expansion, and abolitionism. Around this same time, McCormick began courting Valerie Frost, a socialite of Cuban descent, and they married in February of 1825
McCormick gave powerful speeches criticizing then-president Robert Osborn for "his obfuscations on key issue affecting our veterans and common Americans." A registered Independent, McCormick loathed the Workingman's Party and later stated that he identified closer to the Free Soil Party during this time. When Cosmo Kramer Jr. won the election of 1824, he appointed McCormick to be the secretary of the Navy and his vote passed easily through Congress. McCormick advocated for a very strong Navy and a standing army for "the common defense of our Republic." Despite several political differences, Kramer and McCormick worked well together for the most part. In September of 1827, however, McCormick broke with Kramer and resigned his position on September 19. He began his run for the presidency in December under the "Civic Democratic Union," consisting of Free Soilers and "the old guard" of pro-slavery Whigs and Democratic-Republicans. When the election of 1828 came around in November, McCormick and the CDU defeated Kramer in a close contest, and McCormick was inaugurated as the eighth president of the United States on March 4, 1829.