Charles Wilkes
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
- Categories: Military History, Discovery, Exploration
- Subcategories: Generals, Military Officers, Soldiers, Ships, Naval History, Explorers
- Curriculum: American History 1816-1855, American Civil War & Reconstruction Era (1856-1877)
Article abstract: Wilkes’s determination and leadership as commander of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 ensured the success of this major step in the emergence of the United States as a naval and scientific power.
Early Life
Born April 3, 1798, in New York City, Charles Wilkes was the youngest child of John Deponthieu Wilkes, who had immigrated to the United States from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, and Mary Seton, whose father was her husband’s business partner. Because of John D. Wilkes’s success in business, the...
[The entire page is 1768 words long]
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