author
William H. (William Henry) Seward
1801–1872
A powerful voice against slavery, he became one of the most important American statesmen of the Civil War era. As secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, he helped steer U.S. foreign policy and is still widely remembered for arranging the 1867 purchase of Alaska.
1 Audiobook
Life and public services of John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States, with the eulogy delivered before the Legislature of New York
by William H. (William Henry) Seward
About the author
Born in Florida, New York, in 1801, William Henry Seward built his career as a lawyer and politician before rising to national prominence. He served as governor of New York and later as a U.S. senator, where he became known for his strong antislavery views and for joining the growing movement that would become the Republican Party.
Seward is best remembered for his years as U.S. secretary of state from 1861 to 1869. Working first under Abraham Lincoln and then Andrew Johnson, he managed delicate foreign relations during the Civil War, helping the United States avoid wider international conflict at a moment of great danger.
He also played a central role in the 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia, a deal once mocked as "Seward's Folly" but later seen as one of the most important land acquisitions in U.S. history. Seward died in Auburn, New York, in 1872, leaving behind a reputation as a determined political strategist and a major figure in nineteenth-century American public life.