Albert Gallatin

Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the Subject of Public Roads and Canals (Dodo Press) Albert Gallatin

Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (1761-1849) was a Swiss-American ethnologist, linguist, politician, diplomat, Congressman, and the longest-serving United States Secretary of the Treasury. He was also a founder of New York University. Entering the House of Representatives in 1795, he served in the fourth through sixth Congresses, and went on to become majority leader. He was an important leader of the new Democratic-Republican Party, and its chief spokesman on financial matters. When Jefferson became President, Gallatin was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. During the first part of his tenure, he made great progress in balancing the federal budget. He also involved himself in the planning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, mapping out the area to be explored. Throughout his public service career, Gallatin pursued an interest in Native American language and culture. His research resulted in two published works: A Table of Indian Languages of the United States (1826) and Synopsis of the Indian Tribes of North America (1836).