author
B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Wade
1800–1878
A blunt, forceful voice in Civil War–era politics, he became one of the Senate’s fiercest antislavery leaders and came within a single vote of reaching the presidency during Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial.
1 Audiobook
Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Fort Pillow Massacre. Returned Prisoners.
by United States. Congress. Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, Daniel W. (Daniel Wheelwright) Gooch, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Wade
About the author
Born in Massachusetts in 1800 and raised from 1821 in Ohio, he worked as a laborer and schoolteacher before studying medicine for a time, then turning to law. After being admitted to the bar in 1828, he built a career in Jefferson, Ohio, and served as a prosecuting attorney, state legislator, and judge.
He is best remembered for his years in the U.S. Senate, where he represented Ohio from 1851 to 1869. Often called "Bluff" Wade, he was closely identified with the Radical Republicans and pushed hard for the abolition of slavery and stronger rights for formerly enslaved people during and after the Civil War.
His national profile rose even higher when he became president pro tempore of the Senate, placing him next in line to the presidency for a time. Because of that, he stood just one Senate vote away from becoming president during the 1868 impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson. He died in 1878, leaving a reputation for plain speaking, political courage, and a willingness to challenge presidents of his own era.