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John Graham was born at Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia, of an influential and wealthy family, prominent in the commercial life of that port in its most ambitious day.
He was the son of Jane Brent and Richard Graham, “one of the earliest land adventurers on the Ohio River”, and brother of George Graham, acting secretary of war under Madison and Monroe.
Graham graduated from Columbia College in 1790.
Graham emigrated to Mason County, Kentucky, which in 1800, he represented in the legislature, his commanding person, prepossessing countenance, and agreeable manners having soon helped to call to public notice his industry and obvious talents.
From August 31, 1801, until February 1803, when he resigned, he was attached to the American Embassy at Madrid, first as secretary of legation and later as chargé d’affaires.
On December 12, 1804, President Jefferson appointed him secretary of the Territory of Orleans. He soon made himself indispensable to Gov. Claiborne, won his confidence and esteem “as a man and an officer, ” and in time took over the internal correspondence of the territory.
When Jefferson was notified of Aaron Burr’s designs in the western country, he sent Graham, who was then in Washington, as his confidential agent “to inquire into Burr’s movements, put the Governors, etc. , on their guard, to provide for his arrest if necessary, and to take on himself the Government of Louisiana”.
Proceeding to Marietta, he obtained from the unsuspecting Blennerhassett the information he desired and, after warning him - fruitlessly - against further complicity and rousing Ohio and Kentucky, hastened on to intercept Burr; but, arriving at Nashville one day too late, found his quarry flown.
The next year, Madison, as secretary, invited him to become chief clerk in the state department. He served in this capacity from July I, 1807, to July 18, 1817, collaborating with Secretary Monroe in developing the nation’s policies towards the Central and South American countries, and performing his duties so creditably that when Madison retired from the presidency one of the few letters of recommendation which he wrote to his successor set forth his sense of Graham’s “great merit. ”
From March 4 to 10, 1817, he acted as secretary of state ad interim. In July 1817, President Monroe appointed him, with Caesar Augustus Rodney and Theodorick Bland, a special commission “to obtain information of the actual condition and political prospects of the Spanish provinces which were contending for independence. ”
The findings of this commission Graham embodied in an exhaustive report. He was named minister plenipotentiary to Portugal, January 6, 1819, but the climate proved too severe, and, after less than a year at Rio de Janeiro, he returned with his family to Washington, where he died.
Graham was chief clerk of the State Department from 1807 to 1817 and as such was acting United States Secretary of State for five days in March 1817, at the start of the administration of President James Monroe. Along with Caesar Augustus Rodney and Theodorick Bland, Graham was selected by Monroe in 1817 as one of three commissioners for a special diplomatic mission to South America, the South American Commission of 1817-1818.
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Quotes from others about the person
“Graham as among the most worthy of men, and most estimable citizens; as adding to a sound & discriminating judgment, a valuable stock of acquirements adapted to public affairs; and to both, a purity of character, a delicacy of sentiment, and an amenity of temper & manners, exceeded in no instance to which I could refer. ” - Madison
“It gives me pleasure to concur in every sentiment expressed of him by Mr. Madison, and on the most thorough conviction that nothing is said that is not fully merited. ” - Monroe
Graham's wife was Susan Hill, the daughter of Clement and Eleanor (Brent) Hill of Prince Georges County, Maryland.
