POIN'SETT, JOEL Ronmas (1779-1851). An American diplomatist and official. born at States hurg. S. C. Ile was educated at Dr. Timothy Dwight's school at Greenfield, Conn., and in Great Britain, studying medicine at Edinburgh and military science at Woolwich. His father persuaded him to study law, but before return ing to America Poinsett traveled extensively through Europe and Asia. in 1809 he was sent as baited States Commissioner to South Amer ica to investigate the chances of the revolting provinces for independence. While he was in Chile the Spanish authorities of Peru. hearing that war had been declared against the United States, seized American merchantmen, hut were forced by Poinsett at the head of Chilean sol diers to return them with apologies. On his re turn to America Poinsett was eleeted to the South Carolina Legislature, and strongly advo cated internal improvements. From 1821 to
1825 he sat in the United States Congress as a Federalist, and advocated sending assistance to the South American republics. In 1822 he had been sent as special minister to \lexieo, and 'from 1825 to 1829 was minister to that country. When the issues of nullification (q.v.) came to the front in South Carolina (1830-32) he became prominent in the 'Union Party' and opposed the idea of nullification vigorously. From 1837 to .1841 he was Secretary of War in Van Buren's Cabinet, and in 1840 secured the passage of the militia reorganization bill. lie wrote many ora tions and essays, and founded an academy of fine arts in Charleston. Ile published Yates on Mexico, Made in. 1822; with an Historical Sketch of the 1.'f'orlution (1824).