William Rufus Devane King
William Rufus Devane King (1786-1853) was a prominent American politician and the only vice president to be sworn into office while abroad. Born in North Carolina to a wealthy planter and judicial officer, he was educated at local academies and the University of North Carolina before entering the legal profession. King began his political career in the North Carolina legislature before moving to the Alabama territory, where he established a plantation and played a significant role in the state's early political landscape as a Democratic senator after Alabama's admission to the Union in 1819.
King was known for his eloquence and legislative skills, which earned him the position of minister to France under President John Tyler, where he successfully navigated diplomatic tensions regarding Texas. He later became the Democratic nominee for vice president alongside Franklin Pierce in 1852. Despite winning the election, King’s health deteriorated due to tuberculosis, leading him to leave Washington shortly after taking office. He returned to Alabama, where he passed away on April 18, 1853. Throughout his career, King was respected for his moderate views on slavery and his personable nature, leaving a lasting impact on American politics.
Subject Terms
William Rufus Devane King
Politician, lawyer, diplomat
- Born: April 7, 1786
- Birthplace: Sampson County, North Carolina
- Died: April 18, 1853
- Place of death: Selma, Alabama
Education: University of North Carolina
Significance: William Rufus DeVane King was an American Democratic politician and diplomat who served as the thirteenth vice president of the United States for six weeks before dying of tuberculosis. He acted under President Franklin Pierce. King served as a US senator and representative to Alabama prior to his election with Pierce. King also briefly served as minister of France in the 1840s and successfully thwarted an alliance between France and Great Britain over the territory of Texas. He was known for his moderate stances on slavery, sectionalism, and the expansionist ideology behind manifest destiny.
Background
William Rufus DeVane King was born on April 7, 1786, in Sampson County, North Carolina. He was the second son of William King, a wealthy planter and judicial officer, and Margaret DeVane. His father served as justice of the peace and had fought in the Revolutionary War (1775–1783). King's father was among the delegates at the convention that ratified the US Constitution and had also served on the North Carolina state assembly.
King was educated at local academies and attended the University of North Carolina Preparatory School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina in 1801. He remained there until his junior year, at which time he began legal training with William Duffy, a leading lawyer in North Carolina. King was admitted to the bar in 1805. Three years later, he became a member of the North Carolina legislature's House of Commons before being named solicitor of the fifth circuit of the state superior court at Wilmington in 1809. The following year, King won the Wilmington district's seat in the US House of Representatives.
King served as a representative until 1816, when he left Congress to become the secretary of legation for the recently appointed minister to Russia, William Pinkney. The two were sent on a diplomatic mission to Naples to collect compensations for American ships the kingdom had seized. They then traveled to St. Petersburg in 1817 and remained there for a year, returning to the United States in February 1818.
King decided to relocate from North Carolina to the Alabama territory, where he believed political and economic opportunity awaited. In October 1818, he began building an estate he named King's Bend on the 750 acres of land he had purchased outside the town of Cahaba. He constructed a plantation he called Chestnut Hill and established a land company. He later founded the prosperous town of Selma. His reputation in Alabama grew in the years to follow. When Alabama was ratified as a state in 1819, King was named a delegate at Alabama's 1819 constitutional convention. King was then elected to the US Senate in 1819 as the Democratic senator to Alabama. King's colleagues were impressed by the senator's legislative and oratory skills. He was reelected to the Senate four consecutive times.
Expanded Political Career
King began expanding his political ambitions in the 1840s. He gained a small amount of support among Alabamians as a possible choice for the position of vice president under Martin Van Buren. His support primarily resided in Alabama, however, and he later withdrew his name. Although some interest in a Buchanan-King ticket was raised in the 1844 election, the Democratic nomination eventually went to James K. Polk and George M. Dallas.
King's eloquent speechmaking skills earned him the appointment of minister to France in 1844. President John Tyler feared France would aid Great Britain in impeding the United States' claim over the territory of Texas. Tyler believed King could dissuade French king Louis Philippe from committing France to Great Britain's cause. King managed to convince the king to remain neutral, earning him great favor back in the United States.
King returned home in 1846 and began planning his return to the Senate. He lost the seat to Alabama politician Dixon Hall Lewis in a tight race. Following the departure of Alabama senator Arthur Bagby, who was named minister to Russia in 1848, King was appointed a senator by Alabama's governor and reelected to a full term the following year. In 1850, he was selected president pro tempore of the Senate. King spent a good deal of his term trying to quell the mounting tensions over slavery in his state.
King became the frontrunner for the vice presidency in the 1852 election. After his party chose New Hampshire legislator Franklin Pierce as the Democratic nominee for president, King was selected as his running mate. The campaign was difficult for King, as he had developed tuberculosis and was growing increasingly sick every week. The Pierce-King ticket won the 1852 election, but King was forced to leave Washington shortly after for his health. He stepped down from the Senate and relocated to Cuba, hoping the warm climate would improve his illness. His health continued to deteriorate. Congress was forced to swear King in to the vice presidency while he was still in Cuba. Aware that his condition would not get better, he made arrangements to return to his plantation in Alabama so he could die at home. He arrived back at Chestnut Hill, and died on April 18, 1853.
Impact
King was a popular figure in American politics during his time. He was highly praised for his personable nature and moderate standpoints on important issues such as slavery and regional versus national loyalty. King helped draft several important pieces of legislation throughout his career. He is the only elected official of the US executive branch to have been sworn into office while in a foreign country.
Personal Life
King, a lifelong bachelor, had a close friendship with Pennsylvania senator James Buchanan, who later became president. The pair lived together in Washington, DC, for many years.
Bibliography
"King, William Rufus Devane." NCpedia.org, www.ncpedia.org/biography/king-william-rufus-devane. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
"King, William Rufus de Vane, (1786–1853)." United States Senate, bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=k000217. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
"William Rufus DeVane King." Samford University, www.samford.edu/alabama-mens-hall-of-fame/inductees/King.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
"William Rufus King." Encyclopedia of Alabama, www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1886. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
"William Rufus King, 13th Vice President (1853)." United States Senate, www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP‗William‗R‗King.htm. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.