Identify and State the Historical Significance of the Following

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is William Henry Seward was an influential American politician who served as the Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Born on May 16, 1801, in Florida, New York, Seward was a prominent figure in the antebellum period and the Civil War era of United States history.

Seward began his political career as a member of the Whig Party and later became a key leader in the newly formed Republican Party. He served as the Governor of New York from 1839 to 1842 and was elected to the United States Senate in 1849, where he was a strong opponent of the expansion of slavery into the territories, a stance that made him a leading figure in the anti-slavery movement.

His historical significance is most notably tied to his tenure as Secretary of State during the Civil War. In this role, he was a close advisor to President Lincoln and played a crucial part in preventing foreign intervention in the conflict, particularly from Britain and France, which could have altered the course of the war. Seward's diplomatic efforts helped to maintain the Union's international isolation of the Confederacy.

One of Seward's most enduring legacies is his role in the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, an act that was initially mocked as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox" due to the perception that the territory was a frozen wasteland of little value. However, this acquisition of 586,412 square miles at a cost of about two cents an acre ($7.2 million in total) proved to be a visionary move. Alaska became a significant source of natural resources, including timber, oil, and gold, and was admitted as the 49th state of the United States in 1959.

Seward also worked on other important diplomatic issues, such as the Trent Affair, which involved the Union's seizure of a British ship carrying Confederate envoys, and the resolution of claims against Great Britain for damages caused by the British-built Confederate raider, CSS Alabama.

William Seward's career was marked by his commitment to the abolition of slavery, his skillful diplomacy during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, and his foresight in expanding the territory of the United States. He died on October 10, 1872, but his contributions to the nation have left a lasting impact on the course of American history.

Identify and State the Historical Significance of the Following

Definitions: