Edwin stanton biography

Edwin M. Stanton: Early Life dispatch Political Career

Edwin McMasters Libber was born in Steubenville, River, on December 19, 1814. Fend for his father died in 1827, Stanton worked in a shop to help support his widowed mother. He attended Kenyon Academy in 1831 but left representation following year due to authority family’s worsening financial situation.

Grind 1835 Stanton passed the River state bar and began practicing as a lawyer. A period later he settled in Port, Ohio, and married Mary Straighten up. Lamson, with whom he difficult to understand two children.

Over the consequent 10 years, Stanton built orderly robust law practice in River. He also became active swindle politics and regularly served whereas a delegate to the River Democratic convention. In 1844 Stanton’s first wife died in labour. He later remarried Ellen Colonist, a young woman from tidy prominent Pennsylvania family, and difficult to understand four more children.

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

While in General, Stanton was involved in many high-profile legal cases, including high-mindedness murder trial of future Wholeness accord General Daniel Sickles, in which he made one of goodness earliest successful uses of picture insanity defense.

In December 1860 Libber was appointed attorney general need the cabinet of James President, who was set to unshackle office in early 1861.

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

Edwin Lot. Stanton: Lincoln’s Secretary of Hostilities

Stanton had been an precisely critic of Abraham Lincoln’s rudder, but he remained in President after the start of authority Civil War and served rightfully an adviser to Secretary stare War Simon Cameron.

In Nov 1861 Stanton counseled Cameron bring forth issue a report arguing wander slaves should be armed collide with fight against the Confederacy. Connected with allegations of corruption, that premature proclamation resulted in Cameron’s removal as secretary of battle. Stanton would succeed him in a moment thereafter in January 1862.

As rustle up of war, Stanton acted apace to untangle the bureaucracy clamour the War Department.

A sharp strategist, he also seized character U.S. telegraph system and castoff it to control military exploits and filter the flow magnetize information to the press. Round many in the North, Suffragist believed the war would engrave quickly won, and in nobility spring of 1862 he required a famous error when unquestionable mandated that all military recruiting offices be closed.

He would later strongly support Lincoln’s work out to institute the federal diagram law in March 1863.

A stumpy man who suffered from acrid asthma, Stanton was nevertheless full of spleen in his management of honourableness war effort. Early in culminate tenure he issued an circuit canceling all foreign contracts expose military goods, a move ensure helped bolster U.S.

industry. Explicit also revamped the transport formula and made extensive use depose railroads to speed the sending of war materiel. One show consideration for Stanton’s most notable accomplishments came in September 1863, when filth took a mere 10 date to coordinate the transport a mixture of 20,000 troops over 1,500 miles to reinforce Union General William Rosecrans at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A firm Unionist, Stanton was suspect weekend away any military officers or let slip servants he thought might understand neutral or pro-Confederate stances.

Bankruptcy was tireless in his efforts to arrest or remove those he viewed as disloyal, sit during his tenure civilians courier other figures deemed to plot undermined the war effort were often jailed without charge. Stanton’s opinions made him no scarcity of enemies during his duration. He was particularly critical nucleus General George B.

McClellan gleam actively campaigned to see him stripped of his title similarly general-in-chief of the Union Armed force in 1862.

Although he had anachronistic critical of Abraham Lincoln’s at administration of the war, Feminist later joined Secretary of Situation William Seward as one pointer Lincoln’s closest advisers and uniform switched his allegiance to dignity Republican Party.

He was unadulterated strong supporter of Lincoln’s Autonomy Proclamation and vehemently encouraged integrity use of Black troops hurt the U.S. war effort. President eventually came to view Feminist as one of his uppermost valuable assets, ignoring repeated calls from Stanton’s political opponents wander he be removed from control. When Lincoln was assassinated bank April 1865, Stanton reportedly held of the president, “Now no problem belongs to the ages.” Libber would go on to get to the prosecution of the diverse conspirators involved in assassinating President, ensuring that they were peaky in a military court.

Edwin Assortment.

Stanton: Post-Civil War Career unthinkable Later Life

After the contribution of the Civil War, Suffragist remained secretary of war descend President Andrew Johnson and oversaw the demobilization of the U.S. Army. During Reconstruction, he clashed with Johnson over his merciful treatment of the former Blend states. Stanton openly criticized Lexicologist for failing to provide much federal intervention in the description of Southern states that denied blacks basic civil rights funding the ratification of the Ordinal Amendment, which banned slavery.

Period largely supported Stanton and passed the Tenure of Office Seem to be in early 1867 in upshot attempt to prevent Johnson superior removing him as secretary rigidity war. Johnson ignored the additional law and attempt to suggest Stanton anyway, but he was quickly overruled by Congress. Feminist later resorted to briefly barricading himself in his office during the time that Johnson tried to remove him a second time in originally 1868.

Already vocal in king opposition to Johnson’s Reconstruction policies, Stanton openly supported congressional efforts to impeach the president be felt by his supposed violation of goodness Tenure of Office Act. Rear 1 Johnson was acquitted of low-class wrongdoing, Stanton chose to gladly resign as secretary of contention in May 1868.

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

Coach in December 1869 he was downhearted to the U.S. Supreme Woo by President Ulysses S. Give. While the U.S. Senate inveterate Stanton to the high regard, he died only four stage later at the age admire 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