Veeps: William Rufus King
William Rufus King was unique in Vice Presidential history in so many ways. For instance, he is the only Vice President who took his oath of office on foreign soil; he is the only VP from Alabama, and he may possibly have been the only gay VP (insert the Seinfeldian retort - not that there's anything wrong with that!)
King was born in Sampson County, North Carolina on April 7, 1786. His parents were William King and the former Margaret deVane. He came from a large, wealthy and well-connected southern family. King graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1803. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1806 and began his law practice in Clinton, North Carolina.
King was elected as a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1807 to 1809. He was also elected city solicitor of Wilmington, North Carolina in 1810. He served in Congress from March 4, 1811 until November 4, 1816, when he resigned to become Secretary of the Legation to Minister (Ambassador) William Pinkney at Naples, Italy, and later at St. Petersburg, Russia. He returned to the United States in 1818, and joined the westward migration to the Deep South, purchasing property at what would one day become King's Bend on the Alabama River in Dallas County, Alabama, near present-day Selma. King operated a large cotton plantation called Chestnut Hill. King and his relatives formed one of the largest slaveholding families in the state, collectively owning about 500 slaves
King was a delegate to the convention which organized the Alabama state government. Upon the admission of Alabama as a State in 1819, he was elected by the legislature as a Democratic-Republican to the United States Senate. He was reelected as a Jacksonian in 1822, 1828, 1834, and 1841. He served in the Senate from December 14, 1819 until April 15, 1844. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate during the 24th through 27th Congresses.
King was appointed as Minister (Ambassador) to France from 1844 to 1846. After his return, he was appointed (and later elected) as a Democrat to the Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Arthur P. Bagby, beginning his service on July 1, 1848. During the conflicts leading up to the Compromise of 1850, King supported the Senate's gag rule against debate on antislavery petitions and opposed proposals to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, which was administered by Congress. King was an ardent pro-slavery conservative. He argued that the Constitution protected the institution of slavery in both the Southern states and the federal territories. King opposed both the abolitionists' efforts to abolish slavery in the territories, but he was also a pro-Union man who opposed calls for Southern secession.
On July 11, 1850, two days after the death of President Zachary Taylor, King was appointed President pro tempore of the Senate. Because of the vacancy in the vice-presidential office, he was first in the line of succession to the U.S. Presidency. King held that position until resigning on December 20, 1852, due to poor health. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
King was a very close friend of future President James Buchanan and the two men shared a house in Washington, D.C. for 15 years during their Congressional tenures. The nieces of the two men destroyed much of the correspondence of both men, adding suspicion to the theory of many that the two men were lovers. In a letter which survived, written by Buchanan to a female friend when King was appointed to his diplomatic post in France in 1844, Buchanan wrote:
I am now solitary and alone, having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection."
Many contemporary politicians, including Henry Clay of Kentucky and Aaron Brown of Tennessee, referred to King as "Mrs. B" (for Buchanan) and to the two room mates as "Aunt Nancy and Aunt Fancy", nineteenth century slang for homosexuals. But as to exactly how close the two men were, no historian can know for certain.
King was elected Vice President of the United States on the Democratic ticket with Franklin Pierce in 1852. But by then he was severely ill from tuberculosis. He had gone to John Chartrand's La Ariadne plantation in Matanzas because of ill health. A special act of Congress was passed permitting King to take the oath of office on March 24, 1853 in Cuba, twenty days after he became Vice President according to the Constitution. This most unusual inauguration took place on foreign soil because everyone believed that King would not live much longer. He returned home to his Chestnut Hill plantation where he died on April 18, 1853, two days after his arrival home.
King was interred in a vault on the plantation and later reburied in Selma's Live Oak Cemetery. King never came to Washington, D.C. to carry out any duties of the office during his term. The U.S. Senate displays a bust of King in its collection, even though he never presided over a legislative session. After King's death, the office of Vice President was vacant for the remainder of the term of President Franklin Pierce from 1853 to 1857.
King was born in Sampson County, North Carolina on April 7, 1786. His parents were William King and the former Margaret deVane. He came from a large, wealthy and well-connected southern family. King graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1803. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1806 and began his law practice in Clinton, North Carolina.
King was elected as a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1807 to 1809. He was also elected city solicitor of Wilmington, North Carolina in 1810. He served in Congress from March 4, 1811 until November 4, 1816, when he resigned to become Secretary of the Legation to Minister (Ambassador) William Pinkney at Naples, Italy, and later at St. Petersburg, Russia. He returned to the United States in 1818, and joined the westward migration to the Deep South, purchasing property at what would one day become King's Bend on the Alabama River in Dallas County, Alabama, near present-day Selma. King operated a large cotton plantation called Chestnut Hill. King and his relatives formed one of the largest slaveholding families in the state, collectively owning about 500 slaves
King was a delegate to the convention which organized the Alabama state government. Upon the admission of Alabama as a State in 1819, he was elected by the legislature as a Democratic-Republican to the United States Senate. He was reelected as a Jacksonian in 1822, 1828, 1834, and 1841. He served in the Senate from December 14, 1819 until April 15, 1844. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate during the 24th through 27th Congresses.
King was appointed as Minister (Ambassador) to France from 1844 to 1846. After his return, he was appointed (and later elected) as a Democrat to the Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Arthur P. Bagby, beginning his service on July 1, 1848. During the conflicts leading up to the Compromise of 1850, King supported the Senate's gag rule against debate on antislavery petitions and opposed proposals to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, which was administered by Congress. King was an ardent pro-slavery conservative. He argued that the Constitution protected the institution of slavery in both the Southern states and the federal territories. King opposed both the abolitionists' efforts to abolish slavery in the territories, but he was also a pro-Union man who opposed calls for Southern secession.
On July 11, 1850, two days after the death of President Zachary Taylor, King was appointed President pro tempore of the Senate. Because of the vacancy in the vice-presidential office, he was first in the line of succession to the U.S. Presidency. King held that position until resigning on December 20, 1852, due to poor health. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
King was a very close friend of future President James Buchanan and the two men shared a house in Washington, D.C. for 15 years during their Congressional tenures. The nieces of the two men destroyed much of the correspondence of both men, adding suspicion to the theory of many that the two men were lovers. In a letter which survived, written by Buchanan to a female friend when King was appointed to his diplomatic post in France in 1844, Buchanan wrote:
I am now solitary and alone, having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection."
Many contemporary politicians, including Henry Clay of Kentucky and Aaron Brown of Tennessee, referred to King as "Mrs. B" (for Buchanan) and to the two room mates as "Aunt Nancy and Aunt Fancy", nineteenth century slang for homosexuals. But as to exactly how close the two men were, no historian can know for certain.
King was elected Vice President of the United States on the Democratic ticket with Franklin Pierce in 1852. But by then he was severely ill from tuberculosis. He had gone to John Chartrand's La Ariadne plantation in Matanzas because of ill health. A special act of Congress was passed permitting King to take the oath of office on March 24, 1853 in Cuba, twenty days after he became Vice President according to the Constitution. This most unusual inauguration took place on foreign soil because everyone believed that King would not live much longer. He returned home to his Chestnut Hill plantation where he died on April 18, 1853, two days after his arrival home.
King was interred in a vault on the plantation and later reburied in Selma's Live Oak Cemetery. King never came to Washington, D.C. to carry out any duties of the office during his term. The U.S. Senate displays a bust of King in its collection, even though he never presided over a legislative session. After King's death, the office of Vice President was vacant for the remainder of the term of President Franklin Pierce from 1853 to 1857.