Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (more) Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen American politician Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Theodore-Frelinghuysen Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Biography of Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jul 31, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts Born: Aug. 4, 1817, Millstone, N.J., U.S. (Show more) Died: May 20, 1885, Newark, N.J. (aged 67) (Show more) Title / Office: United States Senate (1871-1877), United States United States Senate (1866-1869), United States (Show more) Political Affiliation: Republican Party (Show more) See all related content Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (born Aug. 4, 1817, Millstone, N.J., U.S.—died May 20, 1885, Newark, N.J.) was a lawyer and U.S. senator who as secretary of state obtained Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a U.S. naval base.

　　Frelinghuysen was born into a family that had long been prominent in politics. Left an orphan at the age of three, he was adopted by his uncle, Theodore Frelinghuysen. He graduated from Rutgers College in 1836, studied law in his uncle’s law office, and succeeded to the latter’s large practice in 1839. Frelinghuysen was one of the founders of the Republican Party in New Jersey and served as the state’s attorney general from 1861 to 1866.

　　In 1866 he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy and was elected the following year to fill the unexpired term. Defeated for the Senate in 1869, he was elected for a full six-year term beginning in 1871. He was one of the Senate’s ablest debaters and did important work as chairman of the committee on foreign affairs during the negotiations over the Alabama claims. President Chester A. Arthur appointed Frelinghuysen secretary of state in 1881 to succeed James G. Blaine. Patient and firm in his handling of diplomatic affairs, he favoured closer commercial relations with Latin America and negotiated a change in the treaty with Hawaii to secure a U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. He also opened treaty relations with Korea (1882) and mediated several international disputes.

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