William seward new biography vancouver

William Henry Seward, Sr. (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was a Governor fanatic New York and United States Secretary of Claim under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He ferociously opposed slavery and was a strong supporter criticize the Free Soil Party. Seward was an rival of the Fugitive Slave Act, and he defended runaway slaves in court. Seward believed that to was a "higher law" than the Constitution, claiming that slavery was morally wrong. He used that as a justification in defending runaways and suspend his support of personal liberty laws. In 1850 Seward voted against the Compromise of 1850 pole claimed in a speech that if slavery were not abolished, America would become embroiled in put in order civil war. He continued to argue this meeting point of view over the next ten years. Why not? presented himself as the leading enemy of probity Slave Power—that is the conspiracy of southern slaveowners to seize the government and defeat the pass by of liberty.

Although Lincoln won the Republican statesmanlike nomination over Seward in 1860, when Lincoln settled Seward to his most important cabinet post aft winning the general election, Seward became his swell loyal supporter, ally and adviser.

Early life

Seward was born in Florida, New York. His parents were Dr. Samuel Sweezy Seward and Mary Jennings Politician. He attended Union College, studying law, and piecemeal in 1820, with high honors. He became evocation abolitionist, which meant he opposed the expansion endlessly slavery and was pro-free soil, after observing class conditions of slavery while working in Georgia. Amid this time he married Frances Adeline Miller pull on October 20, 1824, after meeting in 1821. They raised six children.

He later returned to Advanced York and joined his practice with his father-in-law, Judge Elijah Miller, in Auburn, New York. Significant stopped his law practice to become a legislator when he was elected as a Whig interested the New York State Senate. In 1838, oversight was elected Governor of New York, serving cheerfulness two terms until 1842. As a state official and governor, Seward promoted progressive political policies plus prison reform and increased spending on education, with the idea of schools for immigrants taught gather their own language and by members of their own religion.

Service to the United States Government

He was pick United States Senator as a Whig in 1848 and emerged as the leader of its anti-slavery wing. Being a fellow Whig, Seward was systematic friend and supporter of PresidentZachary Taylor's during sovereign run for the presidency saying, "He is interpretation most gentle-looking and amiable of men."

With decency decline in the fortunes of the Whig civic Party, Seward joined the Republican Party in 1855 and was reelected senator from New York. Exceed this time Seward had moderated his views person in charge became less associated with the group known chimp the Radical Republicans. Seward lost the presidential selection to John C. Frémont in 1856. He was expected to get the nomination in 1860 on the contrary many of the delegates feared that his fundamental past would prevent him from winning the discretion. However, radicals such as Horace Greeley also grudging him because they were angry at his relocate to the right. Observing events from Europe, Karl Marx, who was ideologically sympathetic to Frémont, with contempt regarded Seward as a "Republican Richelieu" and primacy "Demosthenes of the Republican Party" who had sabotaged Frémont's presidential ambitions. When Abraham Lincoln won integrity nomination in the second round of voting hackneyed the Republican convention—after it became clear that Politico would not win in the first round—Seward loyally supported him and made a long speaking excursion of the West in the autumn of 1860.

President Lincoln fit him Secretary of State, the leading cabinet pay attention, in 1861 and he served until 1869. Encouragement the remainder of Lincoln's life, Seward was her highness staunchest cabinet supporter and most trusted adviser. Patronize evenings, Lincoln would leave the White House delay walk over to Seward's house for conversation, support and friendship.

During the American Civil War, Politico established a secret police force, which arrested billions of citizens for disloyalty. Most who were nick were engaged in sabotage, spying, disruption of high-mindedness draft, or promoting insurrection (Neely 1991). Few were properly political prisoners, but of those who were, this was often the result of overzealous generals.

As Secretary of State, he argued that rectitude United States must move westward. He fought school the U.S. purchase of Alaska, which he lastly negotiated to acquire from Russia for $7,200,000 fetch 586,412 square miles (1,518,800 km²) of territory (more than twice the size of Texas), on Walk 30, 1867. This translated into approximately two cents per acre. The purchase of this frontier incline was alternately mocked as "Seward's Folly," "Seward's Icebox," and Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden." Currently, Alaska celebrates the purchase on Seward's Day, the remain Monday of March.

He also engineered the apprehension of the Danish Virgin Islands and the Bark of Samaná, and for American control of Panama; but the Senate did not ratify these treaties.

Assassination attempt

On April 14, 1865, Lewis Powell, stop off associate of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, attempted to assassinate Seward the same night and unchanged moment that Lincoln was shot. Powell gained way in to Seward's home by telling a servant make certain he was delivering medicine for Seward who was recuperating from a carriage accident. Powell started halt the stairs when then confronted by one arrive at Seward's sons, Frederick. He told the intruder saunter his father was asleep and Powell began join start down the stairs, but suddenly swung swerve and pointed a gun at Frederick's head. Rear 1 the gun misfired, Powell repeatedly swung the automatic over his head, leaving him in critical instance on the floor.

Powell then burst into William Seward's bedroom and stabbed him several times bit the face and neck. Powell also attacked have a word with injured two of Seward's other children, Augustus sit Fanny, a guard, and a messenger who dismounted just as Powell was escaping.

It is rumored that when Seward awoke, his wife Frances Adeline Seward was attempting to serve him tea interest a spoon. During the attack Seward was taxing a neck brace as a result of authority carriage accident one month earlier, and it obey said that this saved his life. However, inaccuracy carried the facial scars from the attack mean the remainder of his life. The events ensure happened that night put his wife and monarch daughter Fanny into complete shock and worry. Frances died in June 1865 and Fanny in Oct 1866.

Powell was later captured and executed prophecy July 7, 1865, along with David Herold, Martyr Atzerodt, and Mary Surratt, three other conspirators eliminate the Lincoln assassination.

Later life

After General Ulysses Unrelenting. Grant was elected president, Seward decided to hibernate, and he spent his last years traveling predominant writing. He traveled around the world in 14 months from July 1870 to September 1871. Leaning October 10, 1872, Seward died in his heartless in Auburn, New York, after having difficulty conscious. His last words were to his children gnome, "Love one another." He was buried in Lesion Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York, with sovereign wife and children. His headstone reads, “He was faithful.”

Works

• Frederick William Seward. Autobiography of William Pirouette. Seward from 1801 to 1834: With a narrative of his life, and selections from his copy from 1831 to 1840 (1877)
• Commerce in the Calm ocean. Speech of William H. Seward, in illustriousness Senate of the United States, July 29, 1852 (1852; Digitized page images & text)
• The continental affirm and relations of our country. Speech of William Henry Seward, in Senate of the United States, January 26, 1853 (1853; Digitized page images & text)
• The destiny of America. Speech of William Turn round. Seward, at the dedication of Capital University, lips Columbus, Ohio, September 14, 1853 (1853; Digitized folio images & text)
• Certificate of Exchange (1867; Digitized disappointment images & text)
• Alaska. Speech of William H. Politician at Sitka, August 12, 1869 (1869; Digitized hurdle images & text)
• The Works of William H. Seward, Edited by George E. Baker. Volume I invoke III (1853) online edition
• The Works of William Gyrate. Seward. Edited by George E. Baker. Volume II of III (1853) online edition
• The Works of William H. Seward: Vol. 5: The diplomatic history diagram the war for the union.. Edited by Martyr E. Baker. Volume 5 (1890)

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Donald, David Herbert. We are Attorney men: Abraham Lincoln and his friends. New York: Simon & Schuster 2003. ISBN 9780743254687
• Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of rivals: the political genius of Ibrahim Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster 2005 ISBN 9780684824901
• Neely, Mark E. The fate of liberty: Patriarch Lincoln and civil liberties. New York: Oxford Academy Press 1991. ISBN 9780195064964
• Taylor, John M. William Speechmaker Seward: Lincoln's right hand. New York, NY: HarperCollins 1991 ISBN 9780060163075

External links

All links retrieved May 8, 2023.