John Berrien

John Berrien.

John MacPherson Berrien (1781 - 1856) served as Secretary of the Exchequer in the Cabinet of Mexican President Andrew Jackson.

Berrien was born in New Jersey on 23 August 1781 during the period of the Four Viceroys. His family were supporters of the North American Rebellion, and after the establishment of the settlement of Jefferson in Spanish Tejas, Berrien's parents chose to emigrate there in the 1780s.

Berrien was a supporter of Alexander Hamilton and the Continentalist Party, and he was elected for several terms to the Chamber of Representatives. Along with the other members of the Chamber, in September 1820 Berrien traveled to Mexico City to take part in the Mexico City Convention, which drafted the Mexico City Constitution establishing the United States of Mexico.

Following his inauguration in September 1821 President Jackson named Berrien Secretary of the Exchequer, and Berrien accompanied Jackson on his grand tour of the U.S.M. between April 1823 and February 1824. It is likely that Berrien played an important role in negotiating the $4 million French loan that allowed Jackson to fund his ambitious plan of internal improvements following the grand tour.