Christopher Gustavus Memminger (german: link=no, Christoph Gustav Memminger, translit=Christopher Gustavus Memminger; January 9, 1803 – March 7, 1888) was a German-born American politician and a secessionist who participated in the formation of the
Confederate States
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
government. He was the principal author of the
Provisional Constitution A provisional constitution, interim constitution or transitional constitution is a constitution intended to serve during a transitional period until a permanent constitution is adopted. The following countries currently have,had in the past,such a c ...
(1861) as well as the founder of the Confederate financial system. As the first
Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury
The Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury was the head of the Confederate States Department of the Treasury. Three men served in this post throughout the Confederacy's brief existence from 1861 to 1865.
List of Secretaries of the Treasury ...
, Memminger was the main author of the economic policies of
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
's administration.
Early life and career
Christopher Gustavus Memminger was born on January 9, 1803, in Vaihingen,
Wuerttemberg (present-day
Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
). His father, Gottfried Memminger, was a military
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
who died a month after his son's birth. His mother, Eberhardina (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Kohler) Memminger, immigrated to
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, but died of
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
in 1807. Christopher was placed in an orphanage. His fortunes changed when, at the age of eleven, he was taken under the care of
Thomas Bennett, a prominent lawyer and future Governor. He entered
South Carolina College at the age of 12 and graduated second in his class at 16. Memminger passed the bar in 1825 and became a successful lawyer. He married Mary Withers Wilkinson in 1832.
He was a leader of the opponents during the
Nullification Crisis. He published ''The Book of Nullification'' (1832–33) which satirized the advocates of the doctrine in biblical style. He entered state politics and served in the
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
state legislature from 1836 to 1852 and 1854 to 1860, where for nearly twenty years he was the head of the finance committee. Memminger was a staunch advocate of education and helped give Charleston one of the most comprehensive public school systems in the country. In 1859, after
John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
's raid, he was commissioned by
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
to consult with other delegates in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
as to the best method of warding off attacks of
abolitionists
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
.
American Civil War
![ConfederateCabinet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/ConfederateCabinet.jpg)
Memminger was considered a moderate on the
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
issue, but after the election of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, decided that secession was necessary. Memminger owned 12 slaves, which were listed in his estate in the Charleston, South Carolina, census of 1850, six of them being males. His estate was in Henderson County, North Carolina, where he built his Connemara summer home). When South Carolina seceded from the United States in 1860, Memminger was asked to write the ''
'', which outlined the reasons for secession. When other states also seceded, he was selected as a South Carolina delegate to the
Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, also known as the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a congress of Deputy (legislator), deputies and Delegate (American politics), delegates called together from th ...
and was the chairman of the committee which drafted the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States. The twelve-man committee produced a provisional constitution in only four days.
When
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
formed his first cabinet, Memminger was chosen as Secretary of the Treasury on February 21, 1861. It was a difficult task in view of the financial challenges facing the Confederacy. He attempted to finance the government initially by bonds and tariffs (and the confiscation of gold from the
United States Mint
The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...
in
), but he soon found himself forced to more extreme measures such as
income taxes
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
and
fiat currency
Fiat money (from la, fiat, "let it be done") is a type of currency that is not backed by any commodity such as gold or silver. It is typically designated by the issuing government to be legal tender. Throughout history, fiat money was sometime ...
. He had been a supporter of
hard currency
In macroeconomics, hard currency, safe-haven currency, or strong currency is any globally traded currency that serves as a reliable and stable store of value. Factors contributing to a currency's ''hard'' status might include the stability and ...
before the war but found himself issuing increasingly-devalued paper money, which had become worth less than 2% of its face value in gold by the end of the war.
Later life
Memminger resigned his post as Secretary of the Treasury on July 1, 1864 and was replaced by fellow South Carolinian
G. A. Trenholm. He returned to his summer residence in
Flat Rock, North Carolina. In the post-war years, he returned to Charleston, received a presidential pardon in 1866, and returned to private law practice and business investment. He also continued his work on developing South Carolina's public education system and was voted to a final term in the state legislature in 1877.
he died at age 85 in Charleston South Carolina
Notable works
*
Honors
Christopher Memminger was featured on the Confederate
$5.00 bill.
CSA-T33-$5-1862.jpg, Memminger on the 1862 CS$5 banknote
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes w ...
See also
*
List of German Americans
German Americans (german: link=no, Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States who are of German ancestry; they form the largest ethnic ancestry group in the United States, accounting for 17% of U.S. population.; In 2009, 50.7 mi ...
*
List of orphans and foundlings
Notable orphans and foundlings include world leaders, celebrated writers, entertainment greats, figures in science and business, as well as innumerable fictional characters in literature and comics. While the exact definition of orphan and found ...
*
List of people from Stuttgart
Notes
References
*
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
; Official
C. G. Memminger Papersat the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
; General information
*
Christopher Memmingerat The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org)
Christopher Memmingerat ''South Carolina Encyclopedia'' (scencyclopedia.org)
Christopher Memmingerat ''NCpedia'' (ncpedia.org)
at
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Memminger, Christopher
1803 births
1888 deaths
19th-century American Episcopalians
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Burials in North Carolina
Confederate States Department of the Treasury officials
Executive members of the Cabinet of the Confederate States of America
Deaths in North Carolina
Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Economists from North Carolina
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Recipients of American presidential pardons
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