Caleb Rodney

{{Short description|American politician (1767–1840)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Caleb Rodney

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| imagesize =

| smallimage =

| caption = no known portrait exists

| office1 = 23rd Governor of Delaware

| term_start1 = April 23, 1822

| term_end1 = January 21, 1823

| predecessor1 = John Collins

| successor1 = Joseph Haslet

| office2 = Member of the Delaware Senate

| term2 = January 7, 1806 – January 2, 1810
January 2, 1816 – April 23, 1822

| office3 = Member of the Delaware House of Representatives

| term3 = January 5, 1802 – January 7, 1806
January 7, 1812 – January 4, 1814

| birth_date = {{birth date|1767|4|29}}

| birth_place = Lewes, Delaware Colony

| death_date = {{death date and age|1840|4|29|1767|4|29}}

| death_place = Lewes, Delaware

| spouse = Elizabeth West

| children =

| party = Federalist

| residence = Lewes, Delaware

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Merchant

| profession =

}}

Caleb Rodney (April 29, 1767 – April 29, 1840) was an American merchant and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

{{See also|Rodney family of Delaware}}

Rodney was born in Lewes, Delaware, son of John and Ruth Hunn Rodney, brother of former Governor Daniel Rodney, and distantly related to Delaware President Caesar Rodney. He married Elizabeth West and had five children, Hannah, Hester, Penelope, Eliza, and Daniel. They were members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lewes. He ran a store at the corner of 2nd and Market Streets there, the door to which was allegedly damaged in the British attack and is now on display at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes.

Professional and political career

Rodney served in the state house for four sessions from 1802 through 1805, when he was elected to the state senate and served for four more sessions from 1806 through 1809. He was back in the state house for two sessions in 1812 and 1813, and then returned to the state senate for one session in 1816. In October 1816, he ran for the U.S. Congress, but lost the election. So, the following year he was returned to his old seat in the state senate and served for five sessions from 1818 through 1822. He was the Speaker in the last two sessions and, therefore, became governor upon the death of Governor John Collins. He then served as governor from April 23, 1822, until January 21, 1823.

Rodney was known as an opponent of slavery, expressing the desire that the institution could be ended through continued manumissions.

Death and legacy

Rodney died at Lewes, Delaware, and is buried there, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery. No known portrait of Caleb Rodney exists.

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!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
(sessions while Governor)

Year

!Assembly

!

!Senate majority

!Speaker

!

!House majority

!Speaker

1822

|46th

|

|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |Federalist

|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |vacant

|

|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |Federalist

|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |Alrichs Ryland

Almanac

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State senators had a three-year term and state representatives had a one-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and had a three-year term.

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!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public offices

Office

! Type

! Location

! Began office

! Ended office

! notes

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 5, 1802

|January 4, 1803

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 4, 1803

|January 3, 1804

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 3, 1804

|January 1, 1805

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 1, 1805

|January 7, 1806

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Senator

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 7, 1806

|January 6, 1807

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Senator

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 6, 1807

|January 2, 1810

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 7, 1812

|January 5, 1813

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Representative

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 5, 1813

|January 4, 1814

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Senator

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 2, 1816

|January 7, 1817

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Senator

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 6, 1818

|January 4, 1820

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|State Senator

|Legislature

|Dover

|January 4, 1820

|April 23, 1822

|

{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}

|Governor

|Executive

|Dover

|April 23, 1822

|January 21, 1823

|acting

class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
bgcolor=#cccccc

!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly service

Dates

! Assembly

! Chamber

! Majority

! Governor

! Committees

! District

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1802

|26th

|State House

|Federalist

|David Hall

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1803

|27th

|State House

|Federalist

|David Hall

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1804

|28th

|State House

|Federalist

|David Hall

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1805

|29th

|State House

|Federalist

|Nathaniel Mitchell

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1806

|30th

|State Senate

|Federalist

|Nathaniel Mitchell

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1807

|31st

|State Senate

|Federalist

|Nathaniel Mitchell

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1808

|32nd

|State Senate

|Federalist

|George Truitt

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1809

|33rd

|State Senate

|Federalist

|George Truitt

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1812

|36th

|State House

|Federalist

|Joseph Haslet

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1813

|37th

|State House

|Federalist

|Joseph Haslet

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1816

|40th

|State Senate

|Federalist

|Daniel Rodney

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1818

|42nd

|State Senate

|Federalist

|John Clark

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1819

|43rd

|State Senate

|Federalist

|John Clark

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1820

|44th

|State Senate

|Federalist

|Jacob Stout

|

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1821

|45th

|State Senate

|Federalist

|John Collins

|Speaker

|Sussex at-large

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|1822

|46th

|State Senate

|Federalist

|John Collins

|Speaker

|Sussex at-large

References

  • {{cite book |title=History of the State of Delaware |last=Conrad |first=Henry C. |publisher=Wickersham Company |location=Lancaster, Pennsylvania |year=1908 }}
  • {{cite book |title=A History of Delaware Through its Governors |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=McClafferty Press |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1984 }}
  • {{cite book |title=Memoirs of the Senate |last=Martin |first=Roger A. |publisher=Roger A. Martin |location=Newark, Delaware |year=1995 }}
  • {{cite book |title=History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols |last=Scharf |first=John Thomas |publisher=L. J. Richards & Co |location=Philadelphia |year=1888 |isbn=0-87413-493-5}}