William Short (American ambassador)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's private secretary when he was ambassador
United States Ambassador to France
This article is about the United States Ambassador to France. There has been a United States Ambassador to France since the American Revolution. The United States sent its first envoys to France in 1776, towards the end of the four-centuries-old Bourbon dynasty...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, from 1786 to 1789. Jefferson, later the third 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....
, referred to Short as his "adoptive son". Short, along with Jefferson, was a co-founder of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William & Mary.
William Short was born in 1759 to William Short Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Skipwith at Spring Garden, their estate in Surry County, Virginia. He was the brother of Peyton Short
Peyton Short
Peyton Short was a land speculator and politician in Kentucky. He was a member of the first Kentucky Senate...
.
During his time in Paris serving under Thomas Jefferson, he was often nominated as charge d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
in Jefferson's absence. In one instance, he attended, on behalf of Jefferson, the dedication of a bust of Lafayette arranged by Jefferson. It was a gift from the people of Virginia to the city of Paris. Jefferson was unable to attend due to one of his migraine-headache attacks.
Later, in 1790, he succeeded Thomas Jefferson as Minister to France
United States Ambassador to France
This article is about the United States Ambassador to France. There has been a United States Ambassador to France since the American Revolution. The United States sent its first envoys to France in 1776, towards the end of the four-centuries-old Bourbon dynasty...
, and he provided Jefferson, back in Virginia, with detailed reports on the progress of the French revolution. Subsequently, Short was Minister to the Netherlands
United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
The United States diplomatic mission to the Netherlands consists of the embassy located in The Hague and a consular office located in Amsterdam.In 1782, John Adams was appointed America's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland...
and to Spain
United States Ambassador to Spain
-Ambassadors:*John Jay**Appointed: September 29, 1779**Title: Minister Plenipotentiary**Presented credentials:**Terminated mission: ~May 20, 1782*William Carmichael**Appointed: April 20, 1790**Title: Chargé d'Affaires...
.
Jefferson, as President, nominated Short via recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
to become Minister to Russia in 1808; however, the 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...
later rejected his nomination, and Short never proceeded to the post.