Thomas Francis Bayard (1828–1898) was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He studied law and practiced in Delaware. He represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1869 to 1885, when President Grover Cleveland appointed him secretary of state.
As secretary, Bayard appointed diplomats known for their skill and expertise rather than their political loyalty. He attempted to settle disputes over fishing rights and the hunting of fur seals with Canada, Newfoundland, and Britain, but the issue would not be solved until 1903. With a focus on Pacific affairs, in 1887 Bayard oversaw the Senate’s ratification of the renewal of a reciprocity treaty with Hawaii. That same year he hosted a conference to de-escalate tensions among Germany, Great Britain, and the United States over Samoa. In 1889 Bayard signed an agreement with Japan that provided for the gradual abolition of special protections for American traders living in Japan. Despite the recent U.S. treaty with Korea, Bayard declined to interfere with British occupation of islands off that nation’s coast.
After his tenure as secretary of state, Bayard served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom until 1897.