▁as ▁age . ▁The ▁mer it ▁system ▁was ▁not ▁fully ▁developed ▁or ▁applied ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁B anc ro ft ▁was ▁influ ential ▁also ▁in ▁obtain ing ▁additional ▁appropri ations ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Naval ▁Observ atory . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁B anc ro ft ▁studied ▁so ▁deeply ▁the ▁Oregon ▁boundary ▁dispute ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁as ▁minister ▁pl en ip ot enti ary ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁on ▁the ▁issue . ▁There , ▁he ▁room ed ▁with ▁the ▁historian ▁Mac a ul ay ▁and ▁the ▁poet ▁Hall am . ▁With ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Wh ig ▁Zach ary ▁Taylor ▁as ▁president , ▁B anc ro ft ' s ▁political ▁appointment ▁ended . ▁On ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁he ▁with d rew ▁from ▁public ▁life . ▁ ▁He ▁res ided ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁wrote ▁history . ▁There , ▁B anc ro ft ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Ge ographical ▁Society ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁society ' s ▁first ▁president ▁for ▁nearly ▁three ▁years ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁– ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 5 4 ). ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁at ▁B anc ro ft ' s ▁request , ▁President ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁wrote ▁out ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁fourth ▁of ▁five ▁known ▁manuscript s ▁of ▁the ▁G ett ys burg ▁Address .