Christopher Gustavus Memminger (German: Christoph Gustav Memminger; January 9, 1803 – March 7, 1888) was a German-born American politician and a secessionist who participated in the formation of the Confederate States government. He was the principal author of the Provisional Constitution (1861), as well as the founder of the Confederate financial system. As the first Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury, Memminger was the principal author of the economic policies of Jefferson Davis's administration.
Christopher Gustavus Memminger was born on January 9, 1803, in Vaihingen, Wuerttemberg (present-day Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany). His father, Gottfried Memminger, was a military officer who died a month after his son's birth.[1] His mother, Eberhardina (née Kohler) Memminger, immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina, but died of yellow fever in 1807. Christopher was placed in an orphanage.[2] His fortunes changed when, at the age of eleven, he was taken under the care of Thomas Bennett, a prominent lawyer and future Governor. He entered South Carolina College at the age of 12 and graduated second in his class at 16. Memminger passed the bar in 1825 and became a successful lawyer. He married Mary Withers Wilkinson in 1832.
He was a leader of the opponents during the Nullification Crisis. He published The Book of Nullification (1832–33), which satirized the advocates of the doctrine in biblical style.[3] He entered state politics and served in the South Carolina state legislature from 1836 to 1852 and 1854 to 1860, where for nearly twenty years he was the head of the finance committee.[4] Memminger was a staunch advocate of education and helped give Charleston one of the most comprehensive public school systems in the country.[5] In 1859, after John Brown's raid, he was commissioned by South Carolina to consult with other delegates in Virginia as to the best method of warding off attacks of abolitionists.[6]
Memminger was considered a moderate on the secession issue, but after the election of Abraham Lincoln, he decided that secession was necessary. Memminger owned 12 slaves (six males), listed in his estate in the Charleston, South Carolina, census of 1850. His estate was in Henderson County, North Carolina, where he built his Connemara summer home[7]). When South Carolina seceded from the United States in 1860, Memminger was asked to write the South Carolina Declaration of Secession (officially: Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union), which outlined the reasons for secession. When other states declared secession, he was selected as a South Carolina delegate to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. He was the chair of the committee which drafted the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States. The twelve-man committee produced a provisional constitution in only four days.
When Jefferson Davis formed his first cabinet, Memminger was appointed Secretary of the Treasury on February 21, 1861. It was a difficult task in view of the Confederacy's financial challenges. He attempted to finance the government initially by bonds and tariffs (and the confiscation of gold from the United States Mint in New Orleans). Still, he soon found himself forced to more extreme measures such as income taxes and fiat currency. He had been a supporter of hard currency before the war but found himself issuing increasingly-devalued paper money, which had become worth less than 2% of its face value in gold by the end of the war.
Later lifeedit
Memminger resigned as Secretary of the Treasury on July 1, 1864, and was replaced by fellow South Carolinian George Trenholm. He returned to his summer residence in Flat Rock, North Carolina. In the post-war years, he returned to Charleston, received a presidential pardon in 1866, and returned to private law practice and business investment. He also continued his work on developing South Carolina's public education system and was voted to a final term in the state legislature in 1877. Memminger died on March 7, 1888, at age 85, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Notable worksedit
The Book of Nullification (1830)
Honorsedit
Christopher Memminger was featured on the Confederate $5.00 bill.[8]
^. National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on March 13, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
Referencesedit
Capers, Henry D. (1893), The Life and Times of C. G. Memminger, Richmond: Everett Waddey Co., LCCN 12030042, OCLC 4790450 – via Internet Archive
Patrick, Rembert Wallace (1944), Jefferson Davis and His Cabinet, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, pp. 205–234, LCCN 44009637, OCLC 475783
Schwab, John Christopher (1901), The Confederate States of America, 1861-65: A Financial and Industrial History of the South During the Civil War, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, LCCN 01022093, OCLC 1612925 – via Internet Archive
Further readingedit
Memminger, Christopher (1830). The Book of Nullification. Charleston: n.p. LCCN 07034837. OCLC 2421630 – via Internet Archive.
External linksedit
Wikisource has original works by or about: Christopher Gustavus Memminger
christopher, memminger, christopher, gustavus, memminger, german, christoph, gustav, memminger, january, 1803, march, 1888, german, born, american, politician, secessionist, participated, formation, confederate, states, government, principal, author, provision. Christopher Gustavus Memminger German Christoph Gustav Memminger January 9 1803 March 7 1888 was a German born American politician and a secessionist who participated in the formation of the Confederate States government He was the principal author of the Provisional Constitution 1861 as well as the founder of the Confederate financial system As the first Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury Memminger was the principal author of the economic policies of Jefferson Davis s administration Christopher Memminger1st Confederate States Secretary of the TreasuryIn office February 25 1861 July 18 1864PresidentJefferson DavisPreceded byPosition EstablishedSucceeded byG A TrenholmDeputy from South Carolinato the Provisional Congressof the Confederate StatesIn office February 4 1861 February 17 1862Preceded byNew constituencySucceeded byConstituency abolishedPersonal detailsBornChristoph Gustav Memminger 1803 01 09 January 9 1803Vaihingen Wuerttemberg present day Stuttgart Vaihingen Germany DiedMarch 7 1888 1888 03 07 aged 85 Charleston South CarolinaResting placeSt John in the Wilderness Flat Rock North Carolina35 16 56 8 N 82 26 34 2 W 35 282444 N 82 442833 W 35 282444 82 442833Political partyDemocraticAlma materSouth Carolina College Contents 1 Early life and career 2 American Civil War 3 Later life 4 Notable works 5 Honors 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksEarly life and career editChristopher Gustavus Memminger was born on January 9 1803 in Vaihingen Wuerttemberg present day Stuttgart Vaihingen Germany His father Gottfried Memminger was a military officer who died a month after his son s birth 1 His mother Eberhardina nee Kohler Memminger immigrated to Charleston South Carolina but died of yellow fever in 1807 Christopher was placed in an orphanage 2 His fortunes changed when at the age of eleven he was taken under the care of Thomas Bennett a prominent lawyer and future Governor He entered South Carolina College at the age of 12 and graduated second in his class at 16 Memminger passed the bar in 1825 and became a successful lawyer He married Mary Withers Wilkinson in 1832 He was a leader of the opponents during the Nullification Crisis He published The Book of Nullification 1832 33 which satirized the advocates of the doctrine in biblical style 3 He entered state politics and served in the South Carolina state legislature from 1836 to 1852 and 1854 to 1860 where for nearly twenty years he was the head of the finance committee 4 Memminger was a staunch advocate of education and helped give Charleston one of the most comprehensive public school systems in the country 5 In 1859 after John Brown s raid he was commissioned by South Carolina to consult with other delegates in Virginia as to the best method of warding off attacks of abolitionists 6 American Civil War edit nbsp The original Confederate Cabinet L R Judah P Benjamin Stephen Mallory Christopher Memminger Alexander Stephens LeRoy Pope Walker Jefferson Davis John H Reagan and Robert Toombs Memminger was considered a moderate on the secession issue but after the election of Abraham Lincoln he decided that secession was necessary Memminger owned 12 slaves six males listed in his estate in the Charleston South Carolina census of 1850 His estate was in Henderson County North Carolina where he built his Connemara summer home 7 When South Carolina seceded from the United States in 1860 Memminger was asked to write the South Carolina Declaration of Secession officially Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union which outlined the reasons for secession When other states declared secession he was selected as a South Carolina delegate to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States He was the chair of the committee which drafted the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States The twelve man committee produced a provisional constitution in only four days When Jefferson Davis formed his first cabinet Memminger was appointed Secretary of the Treasury on February 21 1861 It was a difficult task in view of the Confederacy s financial challenges He attempted to finance the government initially by bonds and tariffs and the confiscation of gold from the United States Mint in New Orleans Still he soon found himself forced to more extreme measures such as income taxes and fiat currency He had been a supporter of hard currency before the war but found himself issuing increasingly devalued paper money which had become worth less than 2 of its face value in gold by the end of the war Later life editMemminger resigned as Secretary of the Treasury on July 1 1864 and was replaced by fellow South Carolinian George Trenholm He returned to his summer residence in Flat Rock North Carolina In the post war years he returned to Charleston received a presidential pardon in 1866 and returned to private law practice and business investment He also continued his work on developing South Carolina s public education system and was voted to a final term in the state legislature in 1877 Memminger died on March 7 1888 at age 85 in Charleston South Carolina Notable works editThe Book of Nullification 1830 Honors editChristopher Memminger was featured on the Confederate 5 00 bill 8 nbsp Memminger on the 1862 CS 5 banknoteSee also editList of German Americans List of orphans and foundlings List of people from StuttgartNotes edit Capers 1893 pp 7 9 Patrick 1944 p 205 Wilson J G Fiske J eds 1900 Memminger Charles Gustavus Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography New York D Appleton Gilman D C Peck H T Colby F M eds 1905 Memminger Christopher Gustavus New International Encyclopedia 1st ed New York Dodd Mead Patrick 1944 pp 205 206 Rines George Edwin ed 1920 Memminger Christopher Gustavus Encyclopedia Americana U S National Park Service retrieved June 20 2021 from https www nps gov carl learn historyculture history of connemara htm Legendary Coins and Currency Confederacy 5 dollars 1862 National Museum of American History Archived from the original on March 13 2011 Retrieved August 12 2011 References editCapers Henry D 1893 The Life and Times of C G Memminger Richmond Everett Waddey Co LCCN 12030042 OCLC 4790450 via Internet Archive Patrick Rembert Wallace 1944 Jefferson Davis and His Cabinet Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press pp 205 234 LCCN 44009637 OCLC 475783 Schwab John Christopher 1901 The Confederate States of America 1861 65 A Financial and Industrial History of the South During the Civil War New York Charles Scribner s Sons LCCN 01022093 OCLC 1612925 via Internet ArchiveFurther reading editMemminger Christopher 1830 The Book of Nullification Charleston n p LCCN 07034837 OCLC 2421630 via Internet Archive External links edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Christopher Gustavus Memminger Official C G Memminger Papers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General information Christopher Memminger at Find a Grave Christopher Memminger at The Historical Marker Database HMdb org Christopher Memminger at South Carolina Encyclopedia scencyclopedia org Christopher Memminger at NCpedia ncpedia org Christopher Memminger at The Political Graveyard Works by or about Christopher Memminger at Internet Archive Portals nbsp American Civil War nbsp Biography nbsp Business nbsp Law nbsp Literature nbsp PoliticsChristopher Memminger at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Texts from Wikisource Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Christopher Memminger amp oldid 1190855069, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
