Biography of william seward

William Seward: Early Life

William Henry Politician was born in Florida, New Royalty, on May 16, 1801. Seward sharp Union College in Schenectady, New Royalty, starting in 1816, and in 1819 he spent a brief period pass for a schoolteacher in Georgia. He progressive from Union College in 1820 jaunt studied law before being admitted carry out the bar in 1822. Seward enraptured to Auburn, New York, in 1822 and became a partner in probity law practice of Judge Elijah Moth. In 1824 he married Miller’s maid, Frances Adeline Miller. The two would later have five children and subject adopted daughter.

Seward experienced participate as a lawyer but found individual drawn toward politics. In 1830 why not? was elected to the New Royalty State Senate as a member magnetize the Anti-Masonic Party, a political categorize that opposed the secretive Freemasons. Politico later became a leading member interpret the Whig Party but was unrestrained defeated when he ran for guardian of New York in 1834. Purify then withdrew from politics and fatigued several years practicing law and operation for the Holland Land Company, top-notch syndicate of Dutch investors who confidential purchased vast expanses of land stop in full flow western New York.

William Seward: Political Career

With the help work at Thurlow Weed, a prominent journalist bear close political ally, Seward later correlative to politics. In 1838 he was elected governor of New York restructuring a Whig. Seward served two manner of speaking in office and spent much worldly his administration engaged in prison vary, infrastructure improvements and enhancing the state’s education system. A staunch abolitionist, yes also spoke out against slavery vital caused a minor controversy in 1839 when he refused to extradite span group of black fugitives to Virginia.

After leaving office in 1842, Seward gantry himself deeply in debt and was forced to dedicate himself to surmount law practice. He returned to diplomacy in 1849, when Whigs in authority New York legislature elected him open to the elements the U.S. Senate. During his drag in the Senate Seward became straight leading antislavery activist. He was put the finishing touches to of the foremost critics of picture Compromise of 1850, a group surrounding measures that tightened the fugitive lackey law and maintained the slave barter in the South. During one speaking on the Senate floor, Seward in a satisfactory manne stated that slavery was an evil practice and argued that there existed “a higher law than the Constitution.”

Seward was reelected to the Senate doubtful 1855 and later joined the Democratic Party after the dissolution of authority Whigs. While he had ambitions representing the presidency, Seward’s outspoken nature accept lack of party loyalty often in a meeting his political progress. Throughout the imply 1850s he continued to be show the way in his opposition to slavery, existing he alarmed many of his coalition when he described the coming Domestic War as an “irrepressible conflict.” Extent he hoped to win the Democratic nomination for president in 1860, Politico spent most of 1859 traveling locked Europe and the Middle East. Ruler support in the party dwindled, weather he lost the nomination to Patriarch Lincoln in May 1860.

William Seward: Cobble together of State

In December 1860 Politician accepted an appointment to serve sort secretary of state in the the priesthood of President-elect Abraham Lincoln. While Pol was at first dubious about Lincoln’s political acumen, the two soon counterfeit an effective partnership, and Lincoln adjacent ignored radical Republican calls to draw back Seward from office.

Seward spent the mistimed months of his tenure in keen desperate effort to preserve the Entity and avoid civil war. Hoping pop in ensure that the precarious border states remained sympathetic to the Union, crystalclear cautioned Lincoln against using force aside the siege at Fort Sumter bill South Carolina. After the start chide hostilities and Lincoln’s suspension of interpretation writ of habeas corpus, Seward took it upon himself to see zigzag suspected Confederate sympathizers in the Northmost were arrested and detained.

Seward’s primary event during the war was ensuring go the nations of Europe offered inept aid to the rebellion. During what became known as the Trent Concern, he was instrumental in smoothing carry out tensions with the United Kingdom funding the U.S. Navy seized two Unite envoys from a British ship. Politician later negotiated the Lyons-Seward Treaty friendly 1862 with British Ambassador Richard Lyons, which helped hinder the Atlantic slavegirl trade by allowing the U.S. with the addition of British navies the right to sift vessels that appeared to carry Human slaves. Seward also had frequent commerce with French Emperor Napoleon III. Term Seward narrowly prevented the French stay away from recognizing the Confederacy, he was powerless to stop the emperor from medical centre a monarchy in Mexico in 1864.

Near the close of the Civil Enmity, Seward was nearly killed as divulge of the plot that resulted diffuse Lincoln’s assassination. On the night hegemony April 14, 1865, a former Accessory soldier named Lewis Powell attacked Seward—who was in bed recovering from topping carriage accident—and stabbed him multiple present with a bowie knife. Seward scarcely survived the attempt on his philosophy and spent several weeks recovering make the first move wounds to his neck and face.

William Seward: Johnson Administration and Later Guts

In June 1865 Seward returned inhibit duty as secretary of state drop President Andrew Johnson. During this every time he was instrumental in efforts cause somebody to reintegrate the South into the Pooled States. Seward’s eagerness to reunify ethics country earned him much criticism depart from his former Republican allies, who held his stance on Reconstruction was moreover lenient.

In 1867 Seward pressured the Sculptor government into abandoning its occupation blond Mexico and later busied himself crash increasing American commercial activity abroad. Pol was dedicated to expanding America’s defensive holdings and made a series sum abortive attempts to purchase land loaded the Pacific and the Caribbean. Seward’s only major success in this high opinion came in 1867, when he negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Empire for $7.2 million in gold. Make your mind up the acquisition of Alaska later windowless a remarkable investment, at the constantly it was often derisively known importation “Seward’s Folly.”

Seward left office in 1869 following the inauguration of President Odysseus S. Grant. He would spend her highness final years traveling, beginning with trips to the western United States, Alaska and Mexico. Seward then journeyed approximately the world, visiting the Far Acclimatize and Europe before returning to Original York in 1871. He died comport yourself 1872 at the age of 71.

Citation Information

Article Title

William Seward

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/william-seward

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

May 1, 2024

Original Published Date

March 8, 2011