Accessibility InfoWilliam Learned Marcy (1786-1857) was a lawyer, soldier, and statesman who made his mark in politics in both local and national arenas. Marcy was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and went on to attend Brown University. He moved to Troy, New York and opened a law office in 1811, but left Troy to serve as a United States captain in the War of 1812. After the war, he returned to Troy to continue his practice and take up politics. He joined the Democratic Party as a supporter of then-State Senator Martin Van Buren, and became a leading member of the Albany Regency, a state party machine. He was state comptroller from 1823 until 1829, when he was appointed to the state supreme court. Marcy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1831, and there had another opportunity to support Van Buren. In 1832, Van Buren was nominated as a minister to Britain by President Andrew Jackson. The nomination was contested by those opposed to Jackson’s system of political patronage, but Marcy fam…
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