John Spencer

John Tyler

Walter Forward

George M. Bibb

John Tyler

John Bell

James Madison Porter

William H. Seward

John Adams Dix

Archibald Campbell (Acting)

Obadiah German

Peter Sharpe

Archibald S. Clarke

Albert H. Tracy

John Canfield Spencer

(1788-01-08)January 8, 1788
Hudson, New York, U.S.

May 17, 1855(1855-05-17) (aged 67)
Albany, New York, U.S.

Democratic-Republican (Before 1825)
Whig (1825–1855)

Elizabeth Scott Smith
​
​
(m. 1809)​

Ambrose Spencer (Father)

Williams College
Union College (BA)

 United States

 United States Army

1812–1814

War of 1812

After graduating from Union College in 1806, Spencer practiced law and held various positions, including master of chancery, postmaster, and attorney general. Spencer served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1817 to 1819 and the New York State Assembly and Senate in various years between 1820 and 1833. As an anti-Mason, he investigated the disappearance of William Morgan, which sparked the Anti-Masonic movement.


In 1841, President John Tyler appointed Spencer as Secretary of War, and in 1843, he became Secretary of the Treasury. Spencer faced challenges in his role as Treasury Secretary, including a deficit, tariffs, and the development of a plan for a Board of Exchequer. President Tyler nominated Spencer for open Associate Justice seats on the Supreme Court twice in 1844, but both attempts failed. Spencer resigned as Treasury Secretary in May 1844 and returned to Albany.


Spencer married Elizabeth Scott Smith in 1809, and they had several children, many of whom died young or under unfortunate circumstances.

Mary Natalie Spencer (1810–1886), who married Henry Morris (1806–1854), son of Capt. and grandson of Lewis Morris, in 1831.[7]

Richard Valentine Morris

Laura Catherine Spencer (1812–1891), who married (1807–1885), the 12th Mayor of Buffalo who was the son of DeWitt Clinton.[15]

George W. Clinton

Eliza Abby Spencer (1815–1816), who died young.

Ambrose Canfield Spencer (1817–1876), who was murdered in , in 1876.[16]

Linn, Missouri

John Canfield Spencer, Jr. (d. 1845)

(1823–1842), who was executed for mutiny in 1842.[16]

Philip Spencer

DeWitt Clinton Spencer (1830–1836), who also died young.

at the United States Army

John Canfield Spencer

at the United States Department of the Treasury

John Canfield Spencer

. In Search of Tocqueville. C-SPAN. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

"July 17 - Interview with John Canfield Spencer"

Media related to John Canfield Spencer at Wikimedia Commons

United States Congress. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

"John Canfield Spencer (id: S000727)"

at Project Gutenberg

Works by John Canfield Spencer

at Internet Archive

Works by or about John Canfield Spencer

c. 1848–1854, at the New York Public Library

John Canfield Spencer letter

at Find a Grave

John Canfield Spencer