Peter Dumont Vroom (December 12, 1791 – November 18, 1873), an American Democratic Party

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, served as the ninth

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

(serving two terms in office; from 1829–1832 and 1833–1836) and as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

for a single term, from 1839 to 1841.

Early life

He was born in

Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Hillsborough Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located in the Raritan Valley region, the township is a suburban and exurban bedroom community of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. A ...

, the son of Col. Peter Dumont Vroom who represented Somerset County as an Assemblyman (1790–91, 1794–96, and 1811–13) and in the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

from 1798 to 1804 as a Federalist. The younger Vroom graduated from Columbia College, New York in 1808. After studying law at Somerville Academy he was admitted to the bar in 1813.

Politics

Governorship of New Jersey

Vroom was a member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1826 to 1829. He then served as governor of New Jersey from 1829 to 1832 and 1833 to 1836. As governor, Vroom supported the establishment of the

Camden and Amboy Railroad The Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company, usually shortened to the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C&A), was a railway company in New Jersey. It was incorporated in 1830 and opened its first line in 1832, making it one of the oldest r ...

and the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that connects the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia and ...

Congress

In 1838, Vroom was one of five Democratic candidates for Congress to become involved in the Broad Seal War controversy. Disputed election results caused the U.S. House of Representatives to challenge the Whig candidates certified by Governor

William Pennington William Pennington (May 4, 1796 – February 16, 1862) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the 13th governor of New Jersey from 1837 to 1843. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives, during which he served as ...

. After a lengthy fight, Vroom and the four other Democrats were seated in place of the Whigs. Vroom lost his bid for reelection in 1840.

Ministership

He then served as a delegate to the New Jersey State Constitutional Convention in 1844. He was appointed by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

as United States Minister to Prussia from November 4, 1853, through August 10, 1857.

Death and legacy

Vroom died in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

, and was buried in the Dumont Burying Ground off River Road in

. Vroom Street in Trenton is named in his honor.

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20110725005156/http://slic.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/Governors_of_New_Jersey/GVROO.pdf biography of Governor Vroom at the

New Jersey State Library The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor of New Jersey, Governor, New Jersey Legislature, Legislature and Judiciary of New Jersey, Judiciary. The S ...

Political Graveyard information for Peter Dumont Vroom
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vroom, Peter Dumont 1791 births 1873 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Prussia Democratic Party governors of New Jersey Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey People from Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Politicians from Somerset County, New Jersey Columbia College (New York) alumni American members of the Dutch Reformed Church Reformed Church in America members American people of Dutch descent 19th-century American diplomats Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature