John Trumbull Van Alen (d. August 27, 1857) was an American merchant and diplomat who served as the American
Chargé d'affaires to Ecuador from June 5, 1849 to August 1850.
Biography
Colonel Van Alen, a native of New York who worked as a merchant,
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 ...
to succeed fellow New Yorker,
Van Brugh Livingston,
as the
Chargé d'Affaires to Ecuador in
Quito,
in a recess appointment, on June 5, 1849.
Van Alen had helped Taylor get elected to the presidency and "enjoyed a greater degree of the old veteran's confidence and affection than almost any other person not of his immediate kindred."
He presented his credentials on November 19, 1849,
Van Alen, who was known as "callow and impulsive," reportedly "lacked experience in diplomacy and knowledge of Ecuadorian politics," and "decided that Ecuador could be rescued from ruin only by General
Flores," the former president of Ecuador.
He wrote to Washington advising them that Flores was popular and had been "unjustly ousted by a small clique of opportunists."
While in Ecuador, he was able to negotiate a treaty regarding the brig ''Morris'' which was captured and sold by the authorities of
Colombia.
Van Alen's last dispatch at his post was on July 18, 1850,
before he resigned in October 1850 due to illness.
Van Alen was recommissioned on August 10, 1850, after confirmation, but did not serve under his second appointment. Eventually he was succeeded by
Courtland Cusing Courtland may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Courtland (RTA Rapid Transit station), Cleveland, Ohio
* Courtland, Alabama, a town
* Courtland, Arizona, a ghost town
* Courtland, California, a census-designated place
* Courtland, Kansas, a c ...
of Indiana who was commissioned on September 28, 1850.
After his retirement from the diplomatic services, he spent several years abroad, mostly in England.
Upon his return to the United States, he purchased a country estate near
Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
, where he died on August 27, 1857.
See also
*
List of ambassadors of the United States to Ecuador
The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States, or other chiefs of mission, to Ecuador. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.''
...
References
External links
John Trumbull Van Alen (?–1857)at the
Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs United States Department of State
{{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, Van Brugh
Year of birth unknown
1857 deaths
American people of Dutch descent
Ambassadors of the United States to Ecuador
19th-century American diplomats