william henry seward

English - English

Definition of william henry seward in English English dictionary: {i} (1801-1872) United States politician, Secretary of State (1861-1869) who organized the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867; a US politician in the Republican Party who was Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869. He helped to arrange the deal in which the US bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. At the time, many people thought Alaska was a bad piece of land to buy, and they called it 'Seward's Folly' (1801-72). born May 16, 1801, Florida, N.Y., U.S. died Oct. 10, 1872, Auburn, N.Y. U.S. politician. He served in the New York state senate (1830-34) and as governor (1839-43). In the U.S. Senate (1849-61), he was an antislavery leader in the Whig and Republican parties. A close adviser to Pres. Abraham Lincoln, he served as U.S. secretary of state (1861-69). He helped prevent foreign recognition of the Confederacy and obtained settlement in the Trent Affair. In 1865 he was stabbed by a conspirator of John Wilkes Booth but recovered. He is best remembered for successfully negotiating the Alaska Purchase (1867), which critics called Seward's Folly

william henry seward