William H. Seward

American lawyer and politician (1801-1872)

William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801–October 10, 1872) was an American politician. He was the fourteenth Governor of New York, and later a United States Senator. He was also the United States Secretary of State for two presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was very much against slavery. He was an important person in the Republican Party when it was starting. Many people thought he would be nominated by the Republican Party to run for President of the United States in 1860, but that did not happen.

William Henry Seward
24th United States Secretary of State
In office
March 5, 1861 – March 4, 1869
PresidentAbraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Preceded byJeremiah S. Black
Succeeded byElihu B. Washburne
14th Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1839 – December 31, 1842
LieutenantLuther Bradish
Preceded byWilliam L. Marcy
Succeeded byWilliam C. Bouck
United States Senator
from New York
In office
March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1861
Preceded byJohn A. Dix
Succeeded byIra Harris
Personal details
Born(1801-05-16)May 16, 1801
Florida, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 10, 1872(1872-10-10) (aged 71)
Auburn, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathRespiratory failure
Political partyWhig, Republican
Spouse(s)Frances Adeline Seward
ChildrenAugustus Henry Seward
Frederick William Seward
Cornelia Seward
William Henry Seward, Jr.
Frances Adeline Seward
Olive Risley Seward (adopted)
Alma materUnion College
ProfessionLawyer, Land Agent, Politician
Signature

On the night that President Abraham Lincoln was killed, someone also tried to kill Seward. For the rest of his life, Seward had scars on his face from the attack. Later, the man who attacked him was caught and put to death.

When Seward was Secretary of State, he arranged for the United States to buy Alaska from Russia. People made fun of him for doing that. They called it "Seward's Folly". When asked what he thought was the most important thing he did as Secretary of State, Seward said "The purchase of Alaska—but it will take the people a generation to find it out".[1]

References

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  1. "Alaska's History and Value". The New York Times. 20 September 1886.

Other websites

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  Media related to William H. Seward at Wikimedia Commons