Early Life
Slacum was likely born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Slacum’s family included sister Mary Louisa Slacum Benham and brother George Washington Slacum who served as a consul in the State Department.
On June 8, 1829, William Slacum joined the United States Navy. During his naval career in 1831, Slacum was the purser aboard the USS Potomac as that ship spent four years at sea circumnavigating the globe. Then from 1835 to 1836 Slacum served in Mexico as a Special Diplomatic Agent for the United States. During this time Slacum sent a letter to President Andrew Jackson praising California, then under control of Mexico. This letter is credited with raising Jackson’s interest in acquiring that region.
Read more about this topic: William A. Slacum
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