William Henry Trescot (November 10, 1822May 4, 1898) was a Charleston lawyer, historian, and diplomat born in Charleston, South Carolina, on November 10, 1822. He graduated at

College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...

in 1840, studied law at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, and was admitted to the bar in 1843. He was married to Eliza Natalie Cuthbert, whose family had land originally granted by King George II. He was a close student of American foreign policy. From 1852 to 1854 he was secretary of the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

legation in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. In June 1860 he was appointed assistant secretary of state, and he was acting secretary of state in June–October, during General Lewis Cass's absence from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and for a few days in December after Cass's resignation. His position was important, as the only South Carolinian holding anything like official rank, because of his intimacy with President James Buchanan, and his close relations with the secession leaders in South Carolina. He opposed the reinforcement of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle ...

, used his influence to prevent any attack on the fort by South Carolina before the meeting of the state's convention called to consider the question of secession, and became the special agent of South Carolina in Washington after his resignation from his position as

United States Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary for political affairs ...

in December. When he returned to Charleston in February 1861, he played a leading role in the negotiations surrounding the Charleston forts. He was a member of the state legislature in 1862–1866, and served as colonel on the staff of General Roswell S. Ripley during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

; and later returned to Washington. He was counsel for the United States before the

Halifax Fisheries Commission The Halifax Fisheries Commission was a joint international tribunal created by the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States in 1877 under Articles 22 and 23 of the Treaty of Washington (1871). The purpose of the Commission was to det ...

in 1877; was commissioner for the revision of the treaty with China in 1880; was minister to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

in 1881 and 1882; in 1882 with General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

negotiated a commercial treaty with

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

; and in 1889-1890 was a delegate to the Pan-American Congress in Washington. He died at

Pendleton, South Carolina Pendleton is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,489 at the 2020 census. It is a sister city of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The Pendleton Historic District, consisting of the town and i ...

, his country place, on 4 May 1898. In the opinion of historian

David Saville Muzzey David Saville Muzzey (1870–1965) was an American historian. His history textbooks were used by millions of American children. He was accused of being a "bolshevik" by the Better America Federation. He also served as senior leader at the New York ...

, Trescot was "one of the most accomplished diplomats in our history."David Saville Muzzey
''James_G._Blaine
:_A_Political_Idol_of_Other_Days'',_p.213.html" ;"title="James G. Blaine">''James G. Blaine
: A Political Idol of Other Days'', p.213">James G. Blaine">''James G. Blaine
: A Political Idol of Other Days'', p.213 Dodd, Mead & Co., 1934.

Works

*''The Diplomacy of the Revolution'' (1852) *''An American View of the Eastern Question'' (1854) *''The Diplomatic History of the Administrations of Washington and Adams'' (1857) *''Memorial of the life of J. Johnston Pettigrew: Brigadier General of the Confederate States Army'' (1870)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trescot, William Henry Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Harvard University alumni 1822 births 1898 deaths People of South Carolina in the American Civil War United States Assistant Secretaries of State Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Charleston, South Carolina 19th-century American lawyers