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William W. Belknap

Secretary of War · 1869

William W. Belknap, Secretary of War. William Worth Belknap (September 22, 1829 – October 12, 1890) was a lawyer, Union Army officer, government administrator in Iowa, and the 30th United States secretary of war, serving under President Ulysses S. Grant. Belknap was impeached on March 2, 1876, for his role in the trader post scandal but was acquitted by the Senate. Belknap was the first cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached.

Positions

  • Secretary of War1869-10-25–1876-03-02

Biography

William Worth Belknap (September 22, 1829 – October 12, 1890) was a lawyer, Union Army officer, government administrator in Iowa, and the 30th United States secretary of war, serving under President Ulysses S. Grant. Belknap was impeached on March 2, 1876, for his role in the trader post scandal but was acquitted by the Senate. Belknap was the first cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

More

From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.

Cite or embed this page

Capitol Receipts, “William W. Belknap: Secretary of War,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/wQ706248/william-w-belknap (accessed 2026-10-14).