Albert Gallatin

Albert Gallatin (1761–1849) was a Swiss-born American statesman who served as U.S. secretary of the treasury, congressman, diplomat, and founder of New York University.

Thomas Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson retained Gallatin as treasury secretary and relied on his fiscal expertise.
United States Department of the Treasury: The federal executive department responsible for government finances, revenue collection, and public debt. Gallatin directed this department for thirteen years, longer than any other secretary.
Treaty of Ghent: The 1814 treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Gallatin helped negotiate the agreement as a U.S. peace commissioner.
Geneva: A city in Switzerland that was an independent republic during much of the eighteenth century. Gallatin was born in Geneva and received his early education there.
Report on the Subject of Manufactures: Alexander Hamilton’s 1791 report advocating federal support for American manufacturing. Gallatin’s 1809 report offered a competing vision centered on transportation and internal improvements.
James Madison: James Madison was the fourth president of the United States and a principal architect of the U.S. Constitution. Gallatin served as Madison’s treasury secretary during the War of 1812.
Public debt of the United States: The accumulated financial obligations of the federal government of the United States. Gallatin sought to reduce the national debt while financing government operations.
Convention of 1818: An agreement between the United States and Great Britain that settled several North American boundary and trade issues. Gallatin negotiated this settlement while serving as U.S. minister to France.
American Revolution: The conflict in which thirteen British colonies in North America won independence from Great Britain. Gallatin immigrated to America shortly after independence and entered its new political order.
American System: A nineteenth-century economic program promoting a national bank, protective tariffs, and federally supported internal improvements. Gallatin’s support for transportation improvements overlapped with, but did not define, Clay’s broader program.

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