Peter Dumont Vroom (December 12, 1791 – November 18, 1873), an American

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, served as the ninth

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

(serving two terms in office; from 1829–1832 and 1833–1836) and as a member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for a single term, from 1839–1841.

Early life

He was born in

Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Hillsborough Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region within the much larger New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the tow ...

the son of Col. Peter Dumont Vroom (1745-1831) who represented Somerset County as an Assemblyman (1790–91, 1794–96, and 1811–13) and in the Legislative Council from 1798 to 1804 as a Federalist. The younger Vroom graduated from Columbia College, New York in 1808. After studying law at Somerville Academy he was admitted to the bar in 1813.

Politics

Governorship of New Jersey

Vroom was a member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

from 1826 to 1829. He then served as governor of New Jersey from 1829 to 1832 and 1833 to 1836. As governor, Vroom supported the establishment of the

Camden and Amboy Railroad The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (UNJ&CC) was a railroad company which began as the important Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), whose 1830 lineage began as one of the eight or ten earliest permanent North AmericanList of Earliest Am ...

and the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

Congress

In 1838, Vroom was one of five Democratic candidates for Congress to become involved in the

Broad Seal War The Broad Seal War was a controversy over the results of the United States congressional elections in New Jersey in 1838. Following the closely contested elections of 1838, two contingents of the six New Jersey representatives-elect, one composed ...

controversy. Disputed election results caused the U.S. House of Representatives to challenge the Whig candidates certified by Governor

William Pennington William Pennington (May 4, 1796 – February 16, 1862) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the 13th governor of New Jersey from 1837 to 1843. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives, during which he served as ...

. After a lengthy fight, Vroom and the four other Democrats were seated in place of the Whigs. Vroom lost his bid for reelection in 1840.

Ministership

He then served as a delegate to the New Jersey State Constitutional Convention in 1844. He was appointed by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

as United States Minister to Prussia from November 4, 1853 through August 10, 1857.

Death

Vroom died in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Hillsborough Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region within the much larger New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the tow ...

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20110725005156/http://slic.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/Governors_of_New_Jersey/GVROO.pdf biography of Governor Vroom at the

New Jersey State Library The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor, Legislature and Judiciary. The State Library is also responsible to assist in the provision of library and ...

Political Graveyard information for Peter Dumont Vroom
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vroom, Peter Dumont 1791 births 1873 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Prussia Democratic Party governors of New Jersey Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey People from Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Politicians from Somerset County, New Jersey Columbia College (New York) alumni American members of the Dutch Reformed Church Reformed Church in America members American people of Dutch descent 19th-century American diplomats Burials in New Jersey Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly 19th-century American politicians