William Short (American ambassador)
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William Short (1759–1849) was Thomas Jefferson's private secretary when he was ambassador in Paris, from 1786 to 1789. Jefferson, later the third President of the United States, referred to Short as his "adoptive son". Short, along with Jefferson, was a co-founder of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William & Mary.
[edit] Life
William Short was born in 1759 to William Short Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Skipwith at Spring Garden, their estate in Surry County, Virginia. He was the brother of Peyton Short.[1]
During his time in Paris serving under Thomas Jefferson, he was often nominated as charge d'affaires in Jefferson's absence. In one instance, he attended, on behalf of Jefferson, the dedication of a bust of Lafayette arranged by Jefferson. It was a gift from the people of Virginia to the city of Paris. Jefferson was unable to attend due to one of his migraine-headache attacks.
Later, in 1790, he succeeded Thomas Jefferson as Minister to France, and he provided Jefferson, back in Virginia, with detailed reports on the progress of the French revolution. Subsequently, Short was Minister to the Netherlands and to Spain.
Jefferson, as President, nominated Short via recess appointment to become Minister to Russia in 1808; however, the Senate later rejected his nomination, and Short never proceeded to the post.
[edit] References
- ^ Shackelford, p. 3
- Attribution
- Shackelford, George Green (1993). Jefferson's Adoptive Son. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813117976. http://books.google.com/books?id=CsLjJIxDoT8C. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
[edit] External links
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Jefferson |
U.S. Minister to France 1790–1792 |
Succeeded by Gouverneur Morris |
| Preceded by Charles W.F. Dumas |
U.S. Minister to the Netherlands 1792–1792 |
Succeeded by John Quincy Adams |
| Preceded by William Carmichael |
U.S. Minister to Spain 1794–1795 |
Succeeded by David Humphreys |
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