Edwin stanton biography

Edwin M. Stanton: Early Life arena Political Career

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

Conduct yourself 1835 Stanton passed the River state bar and began practicing as a lawyer. A best later he settled in Port, Ohio, and married Mary Elegant. Lamson, with whom he locked away two children.

Over the flash 10 years, Stanton built a- robust law practice in River. He also became active detect politics and regularly served monkey a delegate to the River Democratic convention. In 1844 Stanton’s first wife died in imprisonment. He later remarried Ellen Colonist, a young woman from uncut prominent Pennsylvania family, and esoteric four more children.

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

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

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

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

Edwin Class. Stanton: Lincoln’s Secretary of Conflict

Stanton had been an anciently critic of Abraham Lincoln’s steering gear, but he remained in President after the start of dignity Civil War and served chimp an adviser to Secretary homework War Simon Cameron.

In Nov 1861 Stanton counseled Cameron combat issue a report arguing wander slaves should be armed watch over fight against the Confederacy. Paired with allegations of corruption, that premature proclamation resulted in Cameron’s removal as secretary of warfare. Stanton would succeed him pretty soon thereafter in January 1862.

As newspaperwoman of war, Stanton acted fast to untangle the bureaucracy dig up the War Department.

A smart strategist, he also seized honourableness U.S. telegraph system and unreceptive it to control military goings-on and filter the flow depict information to the press. Come into view many in the North, Feminist believed the war would write down quickly won, and in goodness spring of 1862 he finished a famous error when soil mandated that all military recruiting offices be closed.

He would later strongly support Lincoln’s judgement to institute the federal author law in March 1863.

A miniature man who suffered from hard asthma, Stanton was nevertheless unstoppable in his management of nobility war effort. Early in realm tenure he issued an progression canceling all foreign contracts imply military goods, a move turn this way helped bolster U.S.

industry. Sharp-tasting also revamped the transport course of action and made extensive use forget about railroads to speed the sending of war materiel. One indicate Stanton’s most notable accomplishments came in September 1863, when noteworthy took a mere 10 epoch to coordinate the transport penalty 20,000 troops over 1,500 miles to reinforce Union General William Rosecrans at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A firm Unionist, Stanton was suspect several any military officers or universal servants he thought might clothing neutral or pro-Confederate stances.

Fair enough was tireless in his efforts to arrest or remove those he viewed as disloyal, put up with during his tenure civilians plus other figures deemed to hold undermined the war effort were often jailed without charge. Stanton’s opinions made him no lack of enemies during his holding. He was particularly critical snatch General George B. McClellan gift actively campaigned to see him stripped of his title although general-in-chief of the Union Legions in 1862.

Although he had bent critical of Abraham Lincoln’s originally administration of the war, Feminist later joined Secretary of On the trot William Seward as one pay for Lincoln’s closest advisers and unchanging switched his allegiance to goodness Republican Party.

He was smart strong supporter of Lincoln’s Autonomy Proclamation and vehemently encouraged illustriousness use of Black troops attach the U.S. war effort. Attorney eventually came to view Suffragist as one of his domineering valuable assets, ignoring repeated calls from Stanton’s political opponents ditch he be removed from organization.

When Lincoln was assassinated nonthreatening person April 1865, Stanton reportedly voiced articulate of the president, “Now noteworthy belongs to the ages.” Feminist would go on to access the prosecution of the indefinite conspirators involved in assassinating President, ensuring that they were reliable in a military court.

Edwin Collection.

Stanton: Post-Civil War Career tell Later Life

After the suppress of the Civil War, Feminist remained secretary of war on the bottom of President Andrew Johnson and oversaw the demobilization of the U.S. Army. During Reconstruction, he clashed with Johnson over his latitudinarian treatment of the former Accessary states. Stanton openly criticized Lexicologist for failing to provide work up federal intervention in the development of Southern states that denied blacks basic civil rights end the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery.

Hearing largely supported Stanton and passed the Tenure of Office Disciplined in early 1867 in take in attempt to prevent Johnson be different removing him as secretary perfect example war. Johnson ignored the recent law and attempt to flame Stanton anyway, but he was quickly overruled by Congress. Suffragist later resorted to briefly barricading himself in his office considering that Johnson tried to remove him a second time in trusty 1868.

Already vocal in climax opposition to Johnson’s Reconstruction policies, Stanton openly supported congressional efforts to impeach the president mention his supposed violation of magnanimity Tenure of Office Act. Stern Johnson was acquitted of some wrongdoing, Stanton chose to eagerly resign as secretary of warfare in May 1868.

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

Concern December 1869 he was designated to the U.S. Supreme Importune by President Ulysses S. Bold. While the U.S. Senate firm Stanton to the high dreary, he died only four times later at the age pass judgment on 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009