Description
John Berrien graduated from Princeton College and was admitted to the bar at the age of 18. In 1810, he was elected judge of the eastern judicial circuit of Georgia. In 1821, Berrien served as captain of the Georgia Hussars, a Savannah volunteer company in the War of 1812. Berrien was a Jacksonian Democrat and elected to the U.S. Senate in 1825. In 1829, he was appointed as the U.S. Attorney General by Andrew Jackson but resigned in 1831. In The Antelope case, John Berrien argued against the freedom of slaves captured at sea noting that slavery “lay at the foundation of the Constitution” and that slaves “constitute the very foundation of your union.” Berrien was elected again to the U.S. Senate as a Whig serving there from 1841 until 1852.
The position of attorney general was created as part of the president’s cabinet beginning with the administration of George Washington. Washington created four cabinet positions to provide him with a source of key advisers, in the form of the attorney general, secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, and secretary of war. Current presidential cabinets are made up of sixteen officers. Members are chosen by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The attorney general is the head of the Department of Justice and its top law enforcement officer.
This John Berrien History Mug is part of our U.S. Attorney General series which includes the many unique individuals who served as U.S. Attorney General.
The biographical History Mugs were created to teach and inspire individuals to learn about our diverse and interesting history. The biographies were researched and written by history enthusiast, Robert Compton. He colorized most of the historic photos and images used on the mugs, which were originally black and white or sepia-tone. The images and biographies are imprinted on mugs at his studio in rural Vermont.
- Mugs are food and microwave safe.
- To preserve photographic quality we recommend hand washing.
- Mugs are usually shipped within 3-5 days.
