Eleanor Finch
The United States Secretary of War was a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of War. The position was first held by Henry Knox, who was appointed by George Washington, the first U.S. President. Knox was a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and served as Washington's aide. As Secretary of War, Knox was responsible for all military affairs, including naval affairs. In 1798, the Secretary of the Navy was created, and the Secretary of War's responsibilities were reduced to the affairs of the United States Army. The position of Secretary of War was abolished in 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act, and it was replaced by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force, who work under the Secretary of Defense.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Henry Knox |
| Birth | July 25, 1750 |
| Death | October 25, 1806 |
| Known For | American military officer, politician, bookseller, Founding Father of the United States |
| War Department Size | 700 men |
| Secretary of War Start Date | September 12, 1789 |
| Secretary of War End Date | 1794 |
| Secretary of War Preceded By | Benjamin Lincoln |
| Secretary of War Succeeded By | N/A (First Secretary of War) |
| President During Tenure | George Washington |
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What You'll Learn
Henry Knox was the first Secretary of War
After the war, Knox oversaw the War Department under the Articles of Confederation from 1785 to 1789. When George Washington became the first President under the Constitution in 1789, he appointed Knox as the nation's first Secretary of War. In this role, Knox was responsible for all military and naval affairs and oversaw the development of coastal fortifications. He also worked to improve the preparedness of local militias and directed the nation's military operations in the Northwest Indian War.
Knox was a key figure in the early years of the United States, actively promoting the adoption of the new Constitution. He is also known for founding The Society of the Cincinnati, a fraternal organization supporting the widows and orphans of Revolutionary War officers, which still exists today.
Knox served as Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794, making him the longest-serving Secretary of War in history, with a total of 3,706 days in office. He retired to a large estate in Thomaston, Maine, in 1795, and today he is honoured as the namesake of Fort Knox in Kentucky.
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The Secretary of War was a member of the president's cabinet
The Secretary of War was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had existed under the Articles of Confederation between 1781 and 1789. Benjamin Lincoln and later Henry Knox held the position. When Washington was inaugurated as the first President under the Constitution, he appointed Knox to continue serving as Secretary of War.
The secretary of war was the head of the War Department. Initially, he was responsible for all military affairs, including naval affairs. However, in 1798, the Secretary of the Navy was created, and the scope of responsibility for the Secretary of War was reduced to the affairs of the United States Army. From 1886 onwards, the Secretary of War was in the line of succession to the presidency. This meant that if the President and Vice President could not serve, the Secretary of War might become President.
Henry Knox was a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and served as chief of artillery in all of George Washington's campaigns. Following the war, he oversaw the War Department under the Articles of Confederation from 1785 to 1789. Washington appointed him the nation's first Secretary of War under the new Constitution, a position which he held from 1789 to 1794.
In 1947, the National Security Act replaced the Secretary of War with the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force. These positions, along with the Secretary of the Navy, became non-Cabinet subordinates under the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense took the Secretary of War's position in the Cabinet and the line of succession to the presidency.
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The Secretary of War was responsible for all military affairs
The Secretary of War was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. The role started with Washington, the first U.S. President, who appointed Henry Knox as the first Secretary of War under the new U.S. Constitution. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation between 1781 and 1789. Benjamin Lincoln held this position before Knox.
The Secretary of War was the head of the War Department. This department was in charge of all military matters, including the army and the navy. The secretary served as the principal adviser to the President of the United States on all military matters. The secretary of war was responsible for all military affairs, including naval affairs. The position was appointed by the Congress of the Confederation and was meant to replace both the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the Board of War and Ordnance. The Secretary at War was a civilian officer that wore no special insignia.
In 1798, the Secretary of the Navy was created, and the scope of responsibility for the Secretary of War was reduced to the affairs of the United States Army. From 1886 onwards, the Secretary of War was in the line of succession to the presidency. This meant that if the President and Vice President could not serve, the Secretary of War might become President. They were after the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Secretary of State.
In 1947, with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947, the Secretary of War was replaced by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force. Since 1949, these roles, along with the Secretary of the Navy, have been non-Cabinet subordinates under the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of the Army's office is generally considered the direct successor to the Secretary of War's office.
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The position was replaced by the Secretary of the Army in 1947
The position of US Secretary of War was first held by Henry Knox, who was appointed by President George Washington in 1789. The Secretary of War was the head of the War Department and was responsible for all military affairs, including the army and navy. Over time, the role's responsibilities shifted to focus solely on the US Army.
In 1947, the National Security Act replaced the Secretary of War with the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force. These new secretaries, along with the Secretary of the Navy, became non-Cabinet subordinates under the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense is a Cabinet member and has authority over all branches of the military, second only to the President.
The Secretary of War was a member of the US President's Cabinet and was in the line of succession to the presidency. The office was modelled on Great Britain's secretary at war, who was William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, at the time of the American Revolution. The Secretary of War was meant to replace both the commander-in-chief and the Board of War, and the secretary wore no special insignia.
The position of Secretary of War was last held by Kenneth C. Royall, whose term ended on September 18, 1947, when the role was abolished. The Secretary of the Army's office is generally considered the direct successor to the Secretary of War's office, although the Secretary of Defense took over the latter's position in the Cabinet and the line of succession to the presidency.
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Benjamin Lincoln was the first Secretary at War
Benjamin Lincoln, born on January 24, 1733, in Hingham, Massachusetts, was the first Secretary at War. He was appointed by the Confederation Congress and served from 1781 to late 1783. Lincoln was from one of the first dynastic American families, who were among the first families to settle in Hingham. Lincoln's father, Colonel Benjamin Lincoln, amassed a large fortune through farming and his seat on the Governor's Council.
Lincoln followed his father into governance and the colonial militia, enlisting in the same regiment where his father was colonel. He was active in the militia during the French and Indian War and was promoted to major by the end of the conflict. In 1774, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress appointed Lincoln to oversee militia organisation and supply in Massachusetts, a role that became vital during the war at Lexington and Concord.
Lincoln played a major role in the American Revolutionary War, including during the siege of Yorktown and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis on October 19, 1781. Following the war, he was appointed as the first US Secretary at War, a position created by the Articles of Confederation and modelled after Britain's Secretary at War. Lincoln was succeeded by Henry Knox, who became the first US Secretary of War under the new Federal Constitution of 1787.
Lincoln returned to his previous pursuits, leading small governments and commanding a militia. He served in various public offices later in life, including as a Suffolk County representative at the Constitutional Convention. He also helped lead 3,000 men to put down Shays's Rebellion in western Massachusetts in 1787. Lincoln retired from public life in 1809 and died the following year.
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Frequently asked questions
Henry Knox was the first Secretary of War under the new US Constitution.
George Washington, the first US President, appointed Henry Knox.
The Secretary of War was the head of the War Department and was responsible for all military affairs, including naval affairs.
From 1886 onwards, the Secretary of War was fourth in line to the presidency. This meant that if the President, Vice President, and Speaker of the House could not serve, the Secretary of War might become President.
The Secretary of War position was replaced by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force in 1947, following the passing of the National Security Act of 1947.
