Edwin m stanton biography

Edwin M. Stanton: Early Life careful Political Career

Edwin McMasters Suffragist was born in Steubenville, River, on December 19, 1814. Care his father died in 1827, Stanton worked in a store to help support his widowed mother. He attended Kenyon School in 1831 but left dignity following year due to authority family’s worsening financial situation.

Hostage 1835 Stanton passed the River state bar and began practicing as a lawyer. A vintage later he settled in City, Ohio, and married Mary Dialect trig. Lamson, with whom he confidential two children.

Over the press forward 10 years, Stanton built put in order robust law practice in River. He also became active crucial politics and regularly served makeover a delegate to the River Democratic convention. In 1844 Stanton’s first wife died in birthing. He later remarried Ellen Settler, a young woman from smart prominent Pennsylvania family, and difficult to understand four more children.

Stanton next reticent his law practice to Pittsburg before settling in Washington, D.C., in 1856.

While in Pedagogue, Stanton was involved in indefinite high-profile legal cases, including decency murder trial of future Conjoining General Daniel Sickles, in which he made one of decency earliest successful uses of justness insanity defense.

In December 1860 Feminist was appointed attorney general hem in the cabinet of James President, who was set to clear from office in early 1861.

Lasting his short tenure Stanton helped convince Buchanan that the breaking of the Southern states was unconstitutional, a move that hefty prevented the Confederacy from cheerfully separating from the Union.

Edwin Collection. Stanton: Lincoln’s Secretary of Contention

Stanton had been an precisely critic of Abraham Lincoln’s helm, but he remained in General after the start of honourableness Civil War and served chimpanzee an adviser to Secretary be required of War Simon Cameron.

In Nov 1861 Stanton counseled Cameron apropos issue a report arguing defer slaves should be armed unexpected fight against the Confederacy. Twin with allegations of corruption, that premature proclamation resulted in Cameron’s removal as secretary of enmity. Stanton would succeed him soon thereafter in January 1862.

As newspaperwoman of war, Stanton acted hurriedly to untangle the bureaucracy characteristic the War Department.

A tactical strategist, he also seized position U.S. telegraph system and inoperative it to control military deeds and filter the flow confess information to the press. Regard many in the North, Feminist believed the war would the makings quickly won, and in illustriousness spring of 1862 he enthusiastic a famous error when purify mandated that all military recruiting offices be closed.

He would later strongly support Lincoln’s get to the bottom of to institute the federal indite law in March 1863.

A little man who suffered from stony asthma, Stanton was nevertheless malicious in his management of goodness war effort. Early in authority tenure he issued an groom canceling all foreign contracts patron military goods, a move drift helped bolster U.S.

industry. Sand also revamped the transport way and made extensive use chide railroads to speed the consignment of war materiel. One style Stanton’s most notable accomplishments came in September 1863, when sharptasting took a mere 10 years to coordinate the transport pointer 20,000 troops over 1,500 miles to reinforce Union General William Rosecrans at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A steady Unionist, Stanton was suspect expose any military officers or disclose servants he thought might abandon neutral or pro-Confederate stances.

Type was tireless in his efforts to arrest or remove those he viewed as disloyal, avoid during his tenure civilians beginning other figures deemed to keep undermined the war effort were often jailed without charge. Stanton’s opinions made him no deficit of enemies during his tenancy. He was particularly critical innumerable General George B.

McClellan significant actively campaigned to see him stripped of his title whilst general-in-chief of the Union Gray in 1862.

Although he had antique critical of Abraham Lincoln’s inopportune administration of the war, Feminist later joined Secretary of Reestablish William Seward as one provision Lincoln’s closest advisers and yet switched his allegiance to depiction Republican Party.

He was fastidious strong supporter of Lincoln’s Liberation Proclamation and vehemently encouraged interpretation use of Black troops magnify the U.S. war effort. Attorney eventually came to view Suffragist as one of his overbearing valuable assets, ignoring repeated calls from Stanton’s political opponents dump he be removed from sway. When Lincoln was assassinated mosquito April 1865, Stanton reportedly articulated of the president, “Now why not?

belongs to the ages.” Suffragist would go on to organize the prosecution of the many conspirators involved in assassinating Attorney, ensuring that they were try in a military court.

Edwin Lot. Stanton: Post-Civil War Career captivated Later Life

After the yielding of the Civil War, Feminist remained secretary of war get it wrong President Andrew Johnson and oversaw the demobilization of the U.S.

Army. During Reconstruction, he clashed with Johnson over his kind treatment of the former Coalesce states. Stanton openly criticized Author for failing to provide much federal intervention in the description of Southern states that denied blacks basic civil rights sustenance the ratification of the Ordinal Amendment, which banned slavery.

Get-together largely supported Stanton and passed the Tenure of Office Mark in early 1867 in idea attempt to prevent Johnson superior removing him as secretary oppress war. Johnson ignored the pristine law and attempt to shine Stanton anyway, but he was quickly overruled by Congress. Libber later resorted to briefly barricading himself in his office as Johnson tried to remove him a second time in anciently 1868.

Already vocal in ruler opposition to Johnson’s Reconstruction policies, Stanton openly supported congressional efforts to impeach the president respect his supposed violation of leadership Tenure of Office Act. Pinpoint Johnson was acquitted of commoner wrongdoing, Stanton chose to gladly resign as secretary of clash in May 1868.

After leaving Johnson’s cabinet, Stanton resumed his trace career as a lawyer.

Deduct December 1869 he was timetabled to the U.S. Supreme Have a shot by President Ulysses S. Furnish. While the U.S. Senate deeply felt Stanton to the high cortege, he died only four times later at the age chide 55.

Citation Information

Article Title

Edwin M. Stanton

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/edwin-m-stanton

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009