Abel P. Upshur

Abel Parker Upshur (1790–1844) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician from Virginia who served as Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State under President John Tyler. He negotiated the treaty that led to the 1845 annexation of Texas, including its admission as a slave state. He died on 28 February 1844 when a gun aboard the warship USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration.