Samuel Delucenna Ingham (September 16, 1779 – June 5, 1860) was an American politician who served as a U.S. representative and the U.S. treasury secretary under President Andrew Jackson.
Born~Died Sep 16, 1779 ~ Jun 5, 1860Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 5:49 PM
Ingham was born in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1779. His parents were Dr. Jonathan Ingham, "a famous physician from Philadelphia",1 and his wife, the former Ann Welding.
After a pursuit of classical studies, he was an apprentice to a paper maker along Pennypack Creek, not far from Philadelphia.2
Manufacturer
After completing his apprenticeship, Ingham became the manager of a paper mill at Bloomfield, New Jersey. It was while here he met Rebecca Dodd, whom he married in 1800. They had five children.3
Also in 1800, Ingham returned to Pennsylvania and established a paper mill on his mother's farm (his father having died in 1793) that would be his main source of employment in the coming years.
Political career
He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1806 to 1808. Then, Ingham was appointed Justice of the Peace by the Governor of Pennsylvania.
He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1813 to July 6, 1818. He easily trounced his Federalist opponents in the first two elections and had no opposition at all in 1816. He resigned from Congress in 1818 because of his wife's ill health. He was appointed the Prothonotary (Chief Clerk, Notary and Registrar of the Court) of the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after leaving Congress.4 In 1819 Rebecca Dodd Ingham died.
This page is based on “Samuel D. Ingham” from English Wikipedia, (r1364804974) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
Ingham served as the ninth Secretary of the US Treasury from March 6, 1829, to June 21, 1831.
The Second Bank of the United States, viewed by Jackson and much of the nation as an unconstitutional and dangerous monopoly, was Ingham's primary concern as Secretary of the Treasury. Jackson mistrusted the Second Bank of the United States and all other banks.6
Jackson thought that there should be no paper currency in circulation but only coins and that the US Constitution was designed to expel paper currency from the monetary system. Ingham believed in the Second Bank and attempted to resolve conflicts between Jackson, who wanted it destroyed, and the Bank's president, Nicholas Biddle.6
Despite being unable to reach any resolution between Jackson and Biddle, Ingham left office over an unrelated incident, which stemmed from his involvement in the social ostracism of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Secretary of WarJohn H. Eaton, by a group of Cabinet members and their wives. It was led by Floride Calhoun, the wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun and became known as the Petticoat affair. Eaton challenged Ingham to a duel, which Ingham did not accept. On June 20, 1831, Eaton recruited a posse to search for Ingham, and Ingham responded by arming himself and requesting Jackson's help. With no help forthcoming from the president, Ingham fled to Baltimore the following morning and then to Bucks County, thus likely saving his life.7
After resigning as Secretary of the Treasury, Ingham resumed the manufacture of paper, and engaged in the development of anthracite coal fields. He was involved with the organization of the Beaver Meadow Railroad Company10 (e. 183011), of which he was then made president for a time.12 He was connected with the organization of the Hazleton Coal Company. He worked to promote canals such at the Lehigh Navigation and the Delaware Canal. He moved to Trenton, New Jersey, in 1849, where he worked with that city's Mechanics Bank.13
Ingham died on June 5, 1860, in Trenton, New Jersey, at the age of 80, and is interred in the Solebury Presbyterian Churchyard, Solebury, Pennsylvania. Ingham County, Michigan, one of several Cabinet counties named for members of Jackson's administration, is named in Ingham's honor; the city of Lansing, mostly situated in Ingham County, would later become Michigan's capital and center of its third-largest metropolitan area. Ingham Avenue in Trenton, NJ is also named in his honor.14
Kahan, Paul (2016). The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for American Finance. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing. pp. 63–84. ISBN 978-1594162343.
"Samuel D. Ingham (1829–1831)". US Treasury Department. November 11, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. ↩↩2
Ingham was born in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1779. His parents were Dr. Jonathan Ingham, "a famous physician from Philadelphia",1 and his wife, the former Ann Welding.
After a pursuit of classical studies, he was an apprentice to a paper maker along Pennypack Creek, not far from Philadelphia.2
Manufacturer
After completing his apprenticeship, Ingham became the manager of a paper mill at Bloomfield, New Jersey. It was while here he met Rebecca Dodd, whom he married in 1800. They had five children.3
Also in 1800, Ingham returned to Pennsylvania and established a paper mill on his mother's farm (his father having died in 1793) that would be his main source of employment in the coming years.
Political career
He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1806 to 1808. Then, Ingham was appointed Justice of the Peace by the Governor of Pennsylvania.
He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1813 to July 6, 1818. He easily trounced his Federalist opponents in the first two elections and had no opposition at all in 1816. He resigned from Congress in 1818 because of his wife's ill health. He was appointed the Prothonotary (Chief Clerk, Notary and Registrar of the Court) of the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after leaving Congress. In 1819 Rebecca Dodd Ingham died.
Ingham served as the ninth Secretary of the US Treasury from March 6, 1829, to June 21, 1831.
The Second Bank of the United States, viewed by Jackson and much of the nation as an unconstitutional and dangerous monopoly, was Ingham's primary concern as Secretary of the Treasury. Jackson mistrusted the Second Bank of the United States and all other banks.6
Jackson thought that there should be no paper currency in circulation but only coins and that the US Constitution was designed to expel paper currency from the monetary system. Ingham believed in the Second Bank and attempted to resolve conflicts between Jackson, who wanted it destroyed, and the Bank's president, Nicholas Biddle.6
Despite being unable to reach any resolution between Jackson and Biddle, Ingham left office over an unrelated incident, which stemmed from his involvement in the social ostracism of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Secretary of WarJohn H. Eaton, by a group of Cabinet members and their wives. It was led by Floride Calhoun, the wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun and became known as the Petticoat affair. Eaton challenged Ingham to a duel, which Ingham did not accept. On June 20, 1831, Eaton recruited a posse to search for Ingham, and Ingham responded by arming himself and requesting Jackson's help. With no help forthcoming from the president, Ingham fled to Baltimore the following morning and then to Bucks County, thus likely saving his life.7
After resigning as Secretary of the Treasury, Ingham resumed the manufacture of paper, and engaged in the development of anthracite coal fields. He was involved with the organization of the Beaver Meadow Railroad Company10 (e. 183011), of which he was then made president for a time.12 He was connected with the organization of the Hazleton Coal Company. He worked to promote canals such at the Lehigh Navigation and the Delaware Canal. He moved to Trenton, New Jersey, in 1849, where he worked with that city's Mechanics Bank.13
Ingham died on June 5, 1860, in Trenton, New Jersey, at the age of 80, and is interred in the Solebury Presbyterian Churchyard, Solebury, Pennsylvania. Ingham County, Michigan, one of several Cabinet counties named for members of Jackson's administration, is named in Ingham's honor; the city of Lansing, mostly situated in Ingham County, would later become Michigan's capital and center of its third-largest metropolitan area. Ingham Avenue in Trenton, NJ is also named in his honor.14
Kahan, Paul (2016). The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for American Finance. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing. pp. 63–84. ISBN 978-1594162343.
"Samuel D. Ingham (1829–1831)". US Treasury Department. November 11, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. ↩↩2