William Seward in Black History

When the name William H. Seward is mentioned, most people remember him as the guy who bought Alaska from the Russians, and if they know a little history they also know that he was Secretary of State in the Lincoln administration.  While those two things are true, they come far short of a full appreciation of one of the greatest leaders this nation has ever seen, and it must be noted during Black History Month, possibly the leader that did more than any other to uplift African America.

To start to get a feel for the man, let us hearken back to March of 1846.  A free Black man, one William Freeman, recently released from five years in prison after it was learned he had been wrongly convicted, went on a rampage, murdering an entire family in Seward's hometown of Auburn, New York.  There was no doubt as to the man's guilt in this case, and the prisoner barely made it past the lynch mob to jail.  In court, no lawyer was willing to take the case, probably since the citizens of Auburn let it be known they would kill any who dared.  In the courtroom, when the judge asked if any would defend him, William Seward, a practicing attorney and by then a former governor of the state and not yet running for the senate, stepped forward, at great personal and career risk and against the advice of political allies, to defend the obviously guilty Mr. Freeman on the basis of his insanity.

He lost the case, but in making it he gave a rousing defense, which established his national reputation, of the humanity of Black people, arguing that if the defendant was white, the jury would find him insane and commit him to life in a mental institution. So in many ways, William Seward actually lived out, in 1846, the heroic roles portrayed in the movies “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “A Time to Kill.”

Even earlier in his life, his wife and he, while not in favor of slavery, decided, in his typically open minded and congenial way, to go down South and see things for themselves.  Barely into Virginia in their southbound carriage, they encountered a group of slave boys being driven to market, chained and naked.  The sight so repulsed both Mr. and Mrs. Seward that they immediately turned around and never again visited the South. They were passionate abolitionists from that day forward.  They fought slavery and anti Black bigotry in every way they could, passing laws in New York, and working tirelessly for the cause on the national level.  Their house in Auburn was a well frequented stop on the underground railroad.

Once elected to the Senate, Senator Seward was the leading voice for abolition and lifting the Black, or what was called at the time, the Negro population.  This earned him the undying hatred of slave owners.  Once, in the heat of battle leading to the Civil War, some southern Senator, letting the false mask of civility slip, used the N-word in a speech in the senate.  Senator Seward, in his response, let it be known that no one would ever be president who spells “Negro with two g's.”  Statements like that, and he made many in favor of freedom and justice for Negros, marked him in the South as their greatest enemy.

By 1860, with the North turning against slavery, and the Republican Party congealing around the issue, it was assumed that the greatest advocate of emancipation, William Seward, would be the nominee.  No one, however, had reckoned on the political acumen of that country lawyer from Illinois, so Abraham Lincoln won the nomination for president.

Although undoubtedly greatly disappointed, William Seward bore the loss well, and in his typical noble manner, campaigned vigorously for Lincoln, for the cause of emancipation and union.  After the Republican won, Senator Seward was anticipating completing his term in the Senate and retiring to Auburn.  It was not to be, because Abraham Lincoln was not only a canny politician, he was a truly wise leader.

Seward was expecting a pro forma invitation from Lincoln to join the administration, and it was expected he would, in similar pro forma fashion, turn down the offer.  But Lincoln sent a second letter with the pro forma one, and its sincerity and wisdom convinced Seward to accept the appointment as Secretary of State.   It was probably the best decision either man ever made, as it brought together two of the greatest minds in the country in the battle for union and freedom.

Even before Lincoln's inauguration but after the election, then still Senator Seward proved his mettle by helping to thwart a confederate plot to take over Washington just before the inauguration and thereby win the war without firing a shot.  Edwin Stanton, also later in Lincoln's cabinet, was in Buchanan's cabinet, privy to the treasonous conversations going on in the Oval office, and secretly relaying that information to Seward.  Seward's actions were instrumental in preserving the union before the war even started.

From day one of his administration, Lincoln and Seward had a close working relationship, going so far as Lincoln allowing Seward to modify the language in his inaugural address.  Their on going collaboration was vital throughout the conduct of the war, especially in meeting the goal of keeping the border states in the union.

What's more, Seward had previously traveled extensively in Europe, his strong abolitionist stance opening many doors on the continent.  He used those connections effectively in preventing England and France from recognizing the Confederacy, and otherwise convincing them to stay neutral in the war.

The night Lincoln was assassinated, another assassin on the team tried to kill William Seward and his son.  He used a knife and stabbed the Secretary repeatedly in the face.  The only reason it did not kill him was that he had recently suffered a broken jaw in a carriage accident, and had a metal brace on his jaw which deflected the knife from hitting his jugular vein.  His son was even more grievously wounded but both men survived the assault.  Their family, however, did not.  Due to the tremendous stress, his wife Frances, a fine and noble woman who supported her husband in every issue, died six weeks later.  His daughter also died shortly thereafter. 

Seward recovered and stayed on as Secretary of State under Andrew Johnson, which is how he was in a position to arrange and conclude our purchase of Alaska.  He died in 1872 at 71 years of age.

Much of the information in this essay was gleaned from reading “Team of Rivals,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin (can't be recommended highly enough).  On the cover of that book is a posed photo of Lincoln and his cabinet, with Lincoln and Seward seated and facing toward each other.  After reading the book, one might be struck (as I was) by the notion that arguably the greatest man in that photo is William Seward.

So why isn't he already remembered highly.  Well, history has a way of being written by the winners, and the survivors. In the chaos of war and reconstruction, and the national grief at President Lincoln's death, a lot of Seward's deeds got forgotten.  What's more, virtually none of his family survived the tumultuous times to fight for his memory.

So it is time that we remember him, today.  What's more, even though he and this author are both White, it is totally fitting for his life to be remembered during Black History Month, because William Henry Seward deserves as much or more credit for preserving the union and ending slavery as anyone, including Abraham Lincoln.  He had a huge and positive impact on Black history. He was not only one of the greatest Americans ever born, he was one of the most noble human beings in history.    The contributions of such leaders should never be forgotten.

 

On a related note, let me add.  A lot of White folks kind of don't like Black History Month, with the yearly refrain of “why don't we have White history month?”

I rather enjoy learning of Black leaders and exceptional figures from the past.  I had never heard of folks like Roberts Smalls, or Harriet Tubman before Black History Month began, and I am better for learning of their contributions.  Rather than ending this yearly history lesson, I hope it can be expanded to include truly great people, like William Seward, from all quarters of our national history.  I know the Native American leader Crazy Horse should be more highly remembered.  Ceasar Chavez, and others of various ethnic groups, including many Whites, should likewise not be forgotten.  Maybe instead of Black History Month, or focusing any other particular group, let us transition to a never ending history lesson every day that reminds us of all the great figures from our collective past.  This will be a unifying way of reminding us of who we are, where we came from, how we got here, and maybe even help us in deciding where we want to go in the future.