| 1 | Name: | William Carmichael | |
| Year Elected: | 1780 | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Deceased | ||
| Death Date: | 2/9/1795 | ||
William Carmichael (?–9 February 1795) was a diplomat and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1780. Born to a wealthy family in Maryland, Carmichael pursued a legal education in America before travelling abroad for further study and leisure. Though he was not formally appointed to a diplomatic post, Carmichael began working for Americans abroad while in Paris, carrying correspondence for diplomats like Arthur Lee and earning the trust of Benjamin Franklin. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the success of the American Revolution came between 1776 and 1777 when he convinced the Marquis de Lafayette to go to America. Carmichael himself returned to America in 1778 and served on the Committee on the Treasury for the Continental Congress. In 1779, he travelled to Spain with APS Member John Jay to garner financial support and official recognition of American independence. At Jay’s urging, the Spanish government loaned nearly $200,000 to the American cause, but King Charles III refused to formally receive Jay and Carmichael as ministers of the United States government. Jay moved on to Paris in 1782, which left Carmichael on his own. The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Spain the following year and helped Carmichael secure an invitation to a diplomatic dinner, and eventually Carmichael was granted an introduction to King Charles III. However, resentful of his lack of official title and what he considered insufficient pay, Carmichael’s diplomatic communication faltered. He intended to return to America after he was released from his post in the fall of 1794, but fell ill and died in Madrid that winter. Though Carmichael seemed to serve the American cause, he was suspected of having divided loyalties: the British Secret Service knew of him and he recruited Captain Joseph Hynes, later revealed to be a traitor, to work for the American cause. (ANB) | |||