View source for Caleb Rodney

{{Short description|American politician (1767–1840)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = 
| name             = Caleb Rodney
| honorific-suffix = 
| image            = <!--need free image-->
| imagesize        = 
| smallimage       = 
| caption          = no known portrait exists
| office1          = 23rd [[List of governors of Delaware|Governor of Delaware]]
| term_start1      = April 23, 1822
| term_end1        = January 21, 1823
| predecessor1     = [[John Collins (governor)|John Collins]]
| successor1       = [[Joseph Haslet]]
| office2          = Member of the [[Delaware Senate]] 
| term2            = January 7, 1806 – January 2, 1810<br>January 2, 1816 – April 23, 1822
| office3          = Member of the [[Delaware House of Representatives]] 
| term3            = January 5, 1802 – January 7, 1806<br>January 7, 1812 – January 4, 1814
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1767|4|29}}
| birth_place      = [[Lewes, Delaware|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 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, Delaware|Lewes]], in [[Sussex County, Delaware]]. He was a member of the [[Federalist Party]], who served in the [[Delaware General Assembly]] and as [[List of governors of Delaware|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 (Lewes, Delaware)|St. Peter's Episcopal Church]] in [[Lewes, Delaware|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, Delaware|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 [[United States Congress|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 (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 (Lewes, Delaware)|St. Peter's Episcopal Church]] Cemetery. No known portrait of Caleb Rodney exists.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |'''[[Delaware General Assembly]]''' <br> <small> ''(sessions while Governor)''</small>
|-
!'''Year'''
!'''Assembly'''
!
!'''Senate majority'''
!'''Speaker'''
!
!'''House majority'''
!'''Speaker'''
|-
|1822
|[[Delaware General Assembly|46th]]
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |vacant
|
|{{Party shading/Federalist}} |[[Federalist Party|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.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public offices
|-
! '''Office'''
! '''Type'''
! '''Location'''
! '''Began office'''
! '''Ended office'''
! '''notes''' 
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 5, 1802
|January 4, 1803
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 4, 1803
|January 3, 1804
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 3, 1804
|January 1, 1805
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 1, 1805
|January 7, 1806
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senator]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 7, 1806
|January 6, 1807
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senator]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 6, 1807
|January 2, 1810
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 7, 1812
|January 5, 1813
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State Representative]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 5, 1813
|January 4, 1814
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senator]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 2, 1816
|January 7, 1817
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senator]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 6, 1818
|January 4, 1820
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senator]]
|[[Legislature]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
|January 4, 1820
|April 23, 1822
|
|-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
|[[List of governors of Delaware|Governor]]
|[[Executive (government)|Executive]] 
|[[Dover, Delaware|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
|[[Delaware General Assembly|26th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[David Hall (Delaware politician)|David Hall]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1803
|[[Delaware General Assembly|27th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[David Hall (Delaware politician)|David Hall]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1804
|[[Delaware General Assembly|28th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[David Hall (Delaware politician)|David Hall]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1805
|[[Delaware General Assembly|29th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Nathaniel Mitchell]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1806
|[[Delaware General Assembly|30th]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Nathaniel Mitchell]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1807
|[[Delaware General Assembly|31st]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Nathaniel Mitchell]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1808
|[[Delaware General Assembly|32nd]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[George Truitt]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1809
|[[Delaware General Assembly|33rd]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[George Truitt]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1812
|[[Delaware General Assembly|36th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Joseph Haslet]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1813
|[[Delaware General Assembly|37th]]
|[[Delaware House of Representatives|State House]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Joseph Haslet]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1816
|[[Delaware General Assembly|40th]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Daniel Rodney]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1818
|[[Delaware General Assembly|42nd]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[John Clark (Delaware governor)|John Clark]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1819
|[[Delaware General Assembly|43rd]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[John Clark (Delaware governor)|John Clark]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1820
|[[Delaware General Assembly|44th]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[Jacob Stout]]
|
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1821
|[[Delaware General Assembly|45th]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[John Collins (governor)|John Collins]]
|[[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''Sussex at-large'']]
|-{{Party shading/Federalist}}
|1822
|[[Delaware General Assembly|46th]]
|[[Delaware Senate|State Senate]]
|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|[[John Collins (governor)|John Collins]]
|[[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]
|[[Sussex County, Delaware|''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}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930030643/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=56ca224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States]
*[http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov2.htm#crod2 Delaware’s Governors]
*{{Find a Grave|7493872}}
*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/rodgers-rodriguez.html#RKD0GS8I4 The Political Graveyard ]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Collins (governor)|John Collins]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of governors of Delaware|Governor of Delaware]]|years=1822–1823}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joseph Haslet]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Delaware}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodney, Caleb}}
[[Category:1767 births]]
[[Category:1840 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century American Episcopalians]]
[[Category:People from Lewes, Delaware]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Delaware]]
[[Category:Delaware Federalists]]
[[Category:Members of the Delaware House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Delaware state senators]]
[[Category:Governors of Delaware]]
[[Category:Federalist Party state governors of the United States]]
[[Category:18th-century American Episcopalians]]
[[Category:18th-century American merchants]]
[[Category:Rodney family (Delaware)]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly]]