Daniel Moreau Barringer (July 30, 1806 – September 1, 1873) was a slave owner and Whig

U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

between 1843 and 1849. He joined the Democratic Party by the early 1870s.

Early life and education

Born near

Concord, North Carolina Concord is the county seat and largest city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,186, with an estimated population in 2021 of 107,697. In terms of population, the cit ...

, in 1806 to Elizabeth Brandon and Paul Barringer, Daniel had nine siblings, including at least two brothers. His middle name is from

French Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

ancestors, who came as refugees to North Carolina. The Barringer sons were likely tutored at home in their early studies. Barringer attended 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 ...

. Graduating in 1826, he went on to study law in Hillsborough with an established firm, and was admitted to the bar.

Career

Barringer returned to his hometown of Concord in 1829, where he began a law practice. He also entered politics. That same year, he was elected to the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

; he would serve there until 1834. He was re-elected for additional terms in 1840 and 1842. He also served as a member of the 1835 North Carolina constitutional convention. In 1842, Barringer was elected as a Whig to the

28th United States Congress The 28th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1843 ...

. He was subsequently reelected to the 29th and 30th sessions. During the 30th Congress, he chaired the Committee on Indian Affairs and the Committee on Expenditures in the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

. He became a personal friend of fellow congressman

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 ...

. During this period, his younger brother, Rufus Clay Barringer, studied law with him to prepare for passing the bar exam. The younger Barringer set up a practice in their hometown of

, and also entered politics in the state. Declining to run for a fourth congressional term in 1848, Daniel Barringer was appointed by President

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

as minister to Spain, where he served from 1849 to 1853. In 1854, upon returning to North Carolina, he was elected to another term in the House of Commons. At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Barringer was a delegate to the 1861 Peace Convention held in Washington, D.C. After the American Civil War, he was a participant in the

Union National Convention The National Union Convention (also known as the Loyalist Convention, the Southern Loyalist Convention, the National Loyalists' Loyal Union Convention, or the Arm-In-Arm Convention) was held on August 14, 15, and 16 1866, in Philadelphia, Pennsylva ...

of 1866, an effort by numerous politicians to gather support for President Andrew Johnson. Barringer became a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. He chaired the

North Carolina Democratic Party The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh. Governor Roy Cooper is a North Carolina Democrat. Since the 2010 passage of ...

in 1872, taking over after the death of

Thomas Bragg Thomas Bragg (November 9, 1810January 21, 1872) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 34th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1855 through 1859. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Cabinet. ...

. Barringer died September 1, 1873 aged 67, in

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County in southeastern West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2020 census. The city emblem consists of five dandelion flowers and the citizens celebrate spring with an annual Dan ...

, and was buried in

Greenmount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as man ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Barringer was the older brother of Civil War

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Rufus Barringer Rufus Clay Barringer (December 2, 1821 – February 3, 1895) was a North Carolina lawyer, politician, and Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War. Early life Barringer was born in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the nint ...

. They were sons of General

Paul Barringer Paul Barringer (1778–1844) was a North Carolina politician, businessman and military veteran of the War of 1812. General Barringer served in the North Carolina House of Commons (1793, 1794, 1806–1815) and in the North Carolina Senate (1822 ...

, and nephews of

Daniel Laurens Barringer Daniel Laurens Barringer (October 1, 1788 – October 16, 1852) was a slave owner and United States Representative from North Carolina between 1825 and 1834. Born in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Barringer studied law and practiced in the stat ...

, who had previously been a Congressman from North Carolina. Barringer's son, Daniel Barringer, became famous for proving the meteoritic origins of the

Meteor Crater Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, is a meteorite impact crater about east of Flagstaff and west of Winslow in the desert of northern Arizona, United States. The site had several earlier names, and fragments of the meteorite are official ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barringer, Daniel Moreau 1806 births 1873 deaths Daniel Moreau People from Cabarrus County, North Carolina American people of German descent American people of French descent Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina North Carolina Democratic Party chairs North Carolina Democrats Ambassadors of the United States to Spain 19th-century American diplomats Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni People of North Carolina in the American Civil War Burials at Green Mount Cemetery