Isaac Toucey
Encyclopedia
Isaac Toucey was an American
statesman who served as a U.S. Senator
, Secretary of the Navy
, Attorney General of the United States and the 18th Governor of Connecticut.
Born in Newtown, Connecticut
, Toucey studied law and was admitted to the bar at Hartford, Connecticut
, in 1818. He began practicing and in 1822 was named prosecuting attorney of Hartford County, Connecticut
. He served in that position until 1835, when he was elected to the 24th and 25th Congresses (at-large and then representing the 1st District). He lost the election of 1838 and returned to his position as prosecuting attorney in 1842. He ran for Governor in 1845, and lost, but the Connecticut State Legislature appointed him to the position in 1846; he was defeated in an attempt at re-election.
In 1848, President of the United States
James K. Polk
appointed him the 20th Attorney General of the United States, a position he held until 1849. He returned to Connecticut and took a place in the Connecticut Senate
in 1850, and then in the Connecticut House of Representatives
in 1852.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate for the term commencing March 4, 1851, and served from May 12, 1852, to March 3, 1857, having that year declined to be a candidate for reelection. During that time, Toucey often served as the legislative point man for Franklin Pierce
and his administration.
James Buchanan
, who Toucey had served with in the Polk administration, appointed him U.S. Secretary of the Navy in his Cabinet
in 1857 as a sop to the Pierce faction as well as to represent New England in the Cabinet. A moderate Northerner much in line with Buchanan's thought in the sectional controversies of the day, Toucey held that post until 1861 and the arrival of the Abraham Lincoln
administration. Toucey was then replaced by one of his chief rivals in Connecticut, Gideon Welles
. After 1861 he returned to the law, and died in Hartford in 1869.
USS Toucey (DD-282)
was named for him.
He is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman who served as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
, Attorney General of the United States and the 18th Governor of Connecticut.
Newtown, Connecticut
Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...
, Toucey studied law and was admitted to the bar at Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, in 1818. He began practicing and in 1822 was named prosecuting attorney of Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....
. He served in that position until 1835, when he was elected to the 24th and 25th Congresses (at-large and then representing the 1st District). He lost the election of 1838 and returned to his position as prosecuting attorney in 1842. He ran for Governor in 1845, and lost, but the Connecticut State Legislature appointed him to the position in 1846; he was defeated in an attempt at re-election.
In 1848, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
appointed him the 20th Attorney General of the United States, a position he held until 1849. He returned to Connecticut and took a place in the Connecticut Senate
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
in 1850, and then in the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
in 1852.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate for the term commencing March 4, 1851, and served from May 12, 1852, to March 3, 1857, having that year declined to be a candidate for reelection. During that time, Toucey often served as the legislative point man for Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
and his administration.
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, who Toucey had served with in the Polk administration, appointed him U.S. Secretary of the Navy in his Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
in 1857 as a sop to the Pierce faction as well as to represent New England in the Cabinet. A moderate Northerner much in line with Buchanan's thought in the sectional controversies of the day, Toucey held that post until 1861 and the arrival of the Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
administration. Toucey was then replaced by one of his chief rivals in Connecticut, Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869. His buildup of the Navy to successfully execute blockades of Southern ports was a key component of Northern victory of the Civil War...
. After 1861 he returned to the law, and died in Hartford in 1869.
USS Toucey (DD-282)
USS Toucey (DD-282)
USS Toucey was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey....
was named for him.
He is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut.