He was born at the family home of
Sloat House in
Sloatsburg, New York, of Dutch ancestry. He was orphaned at an early age, his father, Captain John Sloat, having been mistakenly shot and killed by one of his sentries two months before he was born, and his mother dying a few years later. Appointed
midshipman in the Navy in 1800, he was
sailing master of the
frigate under Commodore
Stephen Decatur during the
War of 1812, and was promoted to lieutenant for conspicuous gallantry in the capture of the frigate . Sloat then commanded the
schooner during which he fought the
March 1825 naval campaign against the pirate ship of
Roberto Cofresí. He later served on the
ships and , and from 1828 commanded the
sloop with the rank of
master commandant, to which he had been promoted in 1826. He was promoted to
captain in 1837, and from 1840 to 1844 was in charge of the
Portsmouth Navy Yard.
California In 1844 Sloat was appointed to command the
Pacific Squadron, and in 1845, as tensions with
Mexico grew, he was instructed to land in
Alta California and claim it for the United States if war broke out. Receiving a report of fighting on the
Texas border while off
Mazatlán, he raced north, defeated Mexican forces at the
Battle of Monterey, raised the flag over the Customs House at
Monterey on July 7, 1846, and issued a proclamation announcing that California was now part of the United States. He was a
military Governor of California for only twenty-two days, before handing over the office to
Robert F. Stockton. Later, his poor health forced Sloat to take commands ashore, where he commanded the
Norfolk Navy Yard 1847–1851, directed the construction of the
Stevens Battery in 1855, and helped plan the
Mare Island Navy Yard. He retired with the rank of captain in December 1861, and was promoted to
rear admiral on the retired list in July 1866. Sloat was a
Freemason, and belonged to
Saint Nicholas lodge No. 321 in
New York City. He died in
New Brighton, New York, and was buried in Brooklyn's
Green-Wood Cemetery. ==Legacy==