Henry Shelton Sanford
Henry Shelton Sanford | |
|---|---|
Henry S. Sanford in c. 1865 | |
| United States Ambassador to Belgium | |
| In office 1861–1869 | |
| President | Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson |
| Preceded by | Elisha Y. Fair |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Russell Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Shelton Sanford June 15, 1823 Woodbury, Connecticut, US |
| Died | May 21, 1891 (aged 67) Healing Springs, Virginia, US |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Gertrude Ellen Dupuy
(m. 1864) |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | Cheshire Academy Trinity College Heidelberg University |
| Profession | Diplomat, businessman, founder of Sanford, Florida |
Henry Shelton Sanford (June 15, 1823 – May 21, 1891) was an American diplomat and businessman from Connecticut who served as United States Minister to Belgium from 1861 to 1869. He is also known for founding the city of Sanford, Florida and for successfully lobbying the United States into recognizing King Leopold II's claim to the Congo region in Central Africa, the area that would become Leopold's privately-controlled Congo Free State.