John Potter Stockton was a New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 politician who served in the United States Senate

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...

 as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

.

Born in Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...

, Stockton was the son of Robert F. Stockton

Robert F. Stockton

Robert Field Stockton was a United States naval commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican-American War. He was a naval innovator and an early advocate for a propeller-driven, steam-powered navy. Stockton was from a notable political family and also served as a U.S...

, grandson of Richard Stockton (1764-1828)

Richard Stockton (1764-1828)

Richard Stockton was a lawyer who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate and later served in the United States House of Representatives. He was the first U.S...

 and the great-grandson of Richard Stockton (1730-1781)

Richard Stockton (1730-1781)

Richard Stockton was an American lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.-Early life:...

, both prominent New Jersey politicians. He graduated from Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

, then known as the College of New Jersey, where he studied law.

Stockton's first foray into politics was as U.S. Minister

Diplomatic rank

Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...

 to the Papal States

Papal States

The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...

 (1858–1861). After returning to New Jersey to practice law for four years, he was appointed to the Senate. His first tenure lasted barely a year before he voted against the proposition of the Fourteenth Amendment

Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...

, which failed to pass the Senate by one vote. In response to this, the Senate passed a motion, by a majority of one, to retroactively unseat him, despite the fact that the Constitution specified that a two thirds majority was required to expel a Senator. The inventive response to this was that the Senate was unseating him retroactively, which was claimed to be quite distinct from expulsion. The outrage caused by this led to New Jersey rescinding its ratification of the Amendment, in protest of his arbitrary removal. He returned to the Senate, this time for a full six-year term, in 1869. Stockton served as New Jersey Attorney General

New Jersey Attorney General

The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...

 from 1877 to 1897.

Stockton died in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in 1900 at the age of 73. He was interred in Princeton Cemetery

Princeton Cemetery

Princeton Cemetery is located in Borough of Princeton, New Jersey. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as: "The Westminster Abbey of the United States."...

, in the borough of Princeton, New Jersey

Borough of Princeton, New Jersey

The Borough of Princeton is a borough and is one of the two municipalities making up Princeton, New Jersey. It lies in Mercer County, New Jersey, and is completely surrounded by Princeton Township, from which it was formed in 1894...

.

External links

• John Potter Stockton at The Political Graveyard
  The Political Graveyard
  The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...