William H. Seward

William H. Seward.
William H. Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869. A determined opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War, he was a dominant figure in the Republican Party in its formative years. While Governor of New York, he signed laws that advanced the rights of black residents. He was elected as a U.S. Senator in 1849, serving two six-year terms. Though he was the favorite for the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, delegates sought a moderate on the slavery question, choosing Abraham Lincoln. As Secretary of State, his firm stance against foreign intervention helped deter the United Kingdom and France from entering the conflict. He was a target of the 1865 assassination plot that killed Lincoln, and was seriously wounded by conspirator Lewis Powell. Seward remained at his post through the presidency of Andrew Johnson, during which he negotiated the Alaska Purchase in 1867.