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William R. King
Sign in to saveAlso known as William Rufus de Vane King, William Rufus DeVane King
vice president of the United States from March to April 1853 (1786–1853)
William R. King was a U.S. Vice President who served for just one month in 1853 before his death, making him one of the shortest-serving vice presidents in American history. His brief tenure is notable primarily because of its unusual brevity, reflecting the serious health issues that plagued the final years of his life.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- William
- Family name
- King
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Sampson County
- Place of death
- Selma
- Occupation
- diplomat
- Educated at
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Political party
- Democratic Party (United States)
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Native language
- English language
- Image
- WilliamRufusKing.jpg
- Number of children
- 0
- Work location
- Raleigh
Show 10 more facts
- birth name
- William Rufus de Vane King
- Commons category
- William King
- medical condition
- tuberculosis
- manner of death
- natural causes
- Commons gallery
- William R. King
- name in native language
- William R. King
- described by source
- The Nuttall Encyclopædia
- cause of death
- tuberculosis
- date of birth
- 1786-04-07
- date of death
- 1853-04-18
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
William Rufus DeVane King (April 7, 1786 – April 18, 1853) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 13th vice president of the United States from March 4, 1853, until his death. He previously served as a U.S. representative from North Carolina, a U.S. senator from Alabama, and minister to France.
A Democratic-Republican and later a Democrat, King was a leading political figure in early Alabama and was elected as one of the state's first U.S. senators after its admission to the Union in 1819. He aligned politically with Andrew Jackson and served multiple terms in the Senate, including as president pro tempore. During the sectional disputes preceding the American Civil War, he supported slavery and opposed abolitionist efforts in the territories, while also opposing secession.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “William R. King” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.